Auckland Airport shares: 'Tough' talking mayor and iwi leader go ...
LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff
Mayor Wayne Brown's opening remarks at Auckland Council's annual budget meeting.
Waikato-based iwi Waikato-Tainui has declared they are seeking a sizeable chunk of any Auckland Airport shares put up for sale, in order to finally settle their outstanding Tiriti o Waitangi claims in the Tāmaki Makaurau region.
But the two “tough” talking leaders at the helm of the major parties involved may have a good reason to work together, having been professional mates for 15 years.
This comes as Auckland councillors are back at the Town Hall on Friday to continue discussions on council’s budget for the next financial year – with a vote on a partial sale of $2.2 billion in airport shares top of the bill.
The iwi’s interest in the airport shares was a strategic step forward to “settle outstanding claims” with the Government, Waikato-Tainui executive chairperson Tukoroirangi Morgan said.
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But the relationship between Morgan and Brown goes way back to when the Auckland mayor was head of Transpower New Zealand Limited.
Morgan said he had talked to the mayor recently, and implored him, to sell the shares to the iwi, via the Government, rather than to a foreign concern.
“Wayne Brown and I have an open and transparent relationship where I can pick up the phone," Morgan said.
“One thing about Wayne is he is tough, he’s astute ... we both I guess are similar in that way, we are direct, we call a spade a spade and that’s something I value, I’m not a person to try and read someone’s mind and Wayne Brown is the same, I value the relationship that I have with the mayor of Auckland.”
In principle the iwi was in favour of the shares being sold, but only if they are sold to the iwi in respect to their Wai 30 claim.
Stuff
Waikato-Tainui executive chairperson Tukoroirangi Morgan said the iwi was in favour of the shares being sold for the sake of the iwi’s historic claims while he and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown also have a longstanding relationship of 15 years.
The claims cover areas in Mangere but also reach right into Tamaki Makaurau, Morgan said.
“Besides the harbour, this is the most significant issue that is still outstanding, the issue over Tāmaki ... it’s the greater Auckland region and goes over to the North Shore.”
Attaining the shares would offer not only benefits for the iwi but also guarantee the shares would remain in New Zealand ownership rather than be lost to international interests.
”We would hold to grow,” Morgan said.
Waikato-Tainui already has property investments around the Auckland Airport, including the Novotel International and the new 5-star Te Arikinui Pullman hotel – due for completion later this year.
The New Zealand Settlements Act, also known as Raupatu, was passed in 1863, which allowed the Crown to confiscate lands belonging to “Māori rebels”.
Post the Waikato invasion, in 1865 the Crown confiscated over 1.2 million acres of land.
The iwi proposal would see the Crown buy the shares from Auckland Council, then transfer them to the iwi.
Morgan said any deal was a good deal when it came to settling the outstanding claims regardless of whether it was partial or a full settlement amount.
“The issue that we have is that the Crown has settled with 19 iwi in Tāmaki, ours is one of the last remaining ones to be settled.
”Clearly there is a diminishing amount of Crown assets left, so our negotiator Rāhui Papa has on several occasions said to the Crown and ministers, ‘buy some shares’, that’s a creative way of settling either partially or wholly.”
Despite an entire day of proceedings on Thursday, the big ticket item of Auckland Airport shares was not resolved – the issue which stands to have the biggest effect on rates.
Despite an entire day of proceedings on Thursday, the big ticket item of Auckland Airport shares was not resolved – the issue which stands to have the biggest effect on rates.
Councillors entered day two of discussions on Friday, with any further questions on mayor Wayne Brown’s updated budget proposal from Thursday. They will also consider two amendments.
Manukau ward councillor Lotu Fuli tabled an amendment asking councillors to consider a full sell-down of the council’s airport shares as part of the long-term plan process which will start as soon as this year’s budget is agreed on.
Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little has been approached for comment.
