Post by Kiwi Frontline on Jul 25, 2017 18:09:11 GMT 12
TŪHORONUKU DEFENDS SPENDING ON OVERSEAS TRAVEL
The group that has received most of the $6 million given to fund the Ngāpuhi settlement process is defending trips to Sydney and Perth, saying they were worthwhile.
But the co-leader of an opposing group says taxpayers should be disappointed and angry.
Documents released under the Official Information Act show Ngāpuhi has received $6 million from the government since 2009 to help the huge North Island iwi decide who has the right to negotiate with the Crown.
More than $5m ($5,844,823) has gone to Tūhoronuku, which was set up in 2014. Opposing group Te Kotahitanga, which has been working on new negotiating framework Maranga Mai, received just $165,000.
Iwi members have been critical of Tūhoronuku's spending for many years, including on international travel, but Mr Tau said the trips had been worthwhile.
Mr Tau said members of the group had travelled to Sydney and Perth. "The use for us going to Australia is that we've got about 20 or 25 Ngāpuhi [individuals] over there ... we went to Sydney and Perth on three occasions and we had attendances of 40 to 50 every time."
But one person who attended those hui said one meeting attracted just a handful of people, including family members.....
www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/335766/tuhoronuku-defends-spending-on-overseas-travel
The group that has received most of the $6 million given to fund the Ngāpuhi settlement process is defending trips to Sydney and Perth, saying they were worthwhile.
But the co-leader of an opposing group says taxpayers should be disappointed and angry.
Documents released under the Official Information Act show Ngāpuhi has received $6 million from the government since 2009 to help the huge North Island iwi decide who has the right to negotiate with the Crown.
More than $5m ($5,844,823) has gone to Tūhoronuku, which was set up in 2014. Opposing group Te Kotahitanga, which has been working on new negotiating framework Maranga Mai, received just $165,000.
Iwi members have been critical of Tūhoronuku's spending for many years, including on international travel, but Mr Tau said the trips had been worthwhile.
Mr Tau said members of the group had travelled to Sydney and Perth. "The use for us going to Australia is that we've got about 20 or 25 Ngāpuhi [individuals] over there ... we went to Sydney and Perth on three occasions and we had attendances of 40 to 50 every time."
But one person who attended those hui said one meeting attracted just a handful of people, including family members.....
www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/335766/tuhoronuku-defends-spending-on-overseas-travel