The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down Hūhana Lyndon’s member’s Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of Māori land through the Public Works Act.
“Today represents a missed opportunity to end a legacy of injustice that has seen Māori land stolen across generations,” says Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon.
“My Bill aimed to address a critical flaw in the Public Works Act, whereby Māori land can be acquired by a Minister or local authority for public works, without the consent of affected Māori communities.
“For generations, te iwi Māori have watched as land has been taken, piece by piece, acre by acre and never returned.
“We have already lost so much, Māori should be empowered to say yes or no when it comes to the possession of their land. It is this choice, this tino rangatiratanga that lies at the core of my Bill, something the Government chose to shoot down.
“Our Prime Minister has the audacity to tell Māori that Te Tiriti is our past, present and future, yet also undermine the very foundation of our founding agreement by allowing the confiscation of Māori land to continue. As a result, this tool of the Crown will continue to be used today, tomorrow, and into our future.
“However, today was just a speed bump on the road to Te Tiriti justice. We know the movement we are building, that we are seeing flood streets across the motu, will not allow this injustice to continue for much longer,” says Hūhana Lyndon.
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