Foreshore and Seabed Review Welcomed
4 March 2009
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu congratulates Hana O'Regan (Ngāi Tahu) for her selection as one of the ministerial panel to review the Foreshore and Seabed Act and welcomes the announcement that the terms of reference have been reached.
Hana O'Regan, Dean of Te Puna Wanaka at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, is an exceptional educationalist and played a leading role in the development of the Ngāi Tahu language strategy. Hana has been a Board member of The Māori Language Commission – Te Taura whiri i te Reo Māori since 2003.
"Ngāi Tahu looks forward to the opportunity to participate in the review of the Foreshore and Seabed Act. Ngāi Tahu and the Treaty Tribes Coalition have remained committed to seeing an appropriate and thorough review of this legislation take place," says Kaiwhakahaere Mark Solomon.
"I commend the Māori Party on obtaining a review through its confidence and supply agreement with the government. Many Māori and non-Māori share Ngāi Tahu's view that the Foreshore and Seabed Act breached the rule of law, trampled human rights and denied due process. I like thousands of others marched on Parliament to voice that concern and it is gratifying to see the process reach this stage," says Solomon.
Ngāi Tahu and the Treaty Tribes Coalition have been to the United Nations twice to make submissions on the legislation, which ultimately led to an investigation by the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and a critical report on the state of race relations in New Zealand.
ENDS