HAVE YOU VOTED YET? JUST 3 WEEKS TO GO With just over three weeks to go until voting closes on 30 May, the mandating vote count is steadily increasing with 25% of Te Mana members having voted. CEO Anthony Olsen is encouraged by the level of voting to date and expects voting returns to continue to rise as Ngāti Rangitihi take advantage of the one month extension in voting. “Te Mana wants those Ngati Rangitihi who have received voting packs to make sure they vote” he says. Voting by the internet voting literally takes two minutes.” Mr Olsen also encourages all those who have received voting packs to get any whanau 18 years and older – who are not on the database - to vote. “They can get a voting pack by contacting electionz at 0508 666 887 or contacting our office at 0800AKATEA.” Mr Olsen notes that some of our iwi have asked for more information on mandating. Te Mana has written a Mandate Summary a one-page document which gives an overview of why Te Mana is seeking a mandate to represent the iwi, and what the Crown’s role is. You can get further information on mandating by contacting the office (0800 AKATEA) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- MANDATE SUMMARY Some of our iwi have asked for more information on mandating and what it all means. This panui gives you a summary of why Te Mana is seeking a mandate to represent the iwi, and what the Crown’s role is. In 2008, Ngāti Rangitihi was one of eight iwi who signed the historic Central North Island Forests Collective Settlement (CNI), which effectively returned the CNI forests land to the iwi. Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi (Te Mana) was set up, following a vote by Ngāti Rangitihi, to be its post-settlement governance entity. Te Mana received, on behalf of the iwi, more than $9 million in settlement assets and holdings from the Crown, as part of the CNI Forests Collective Settlement. Te Mana has since developed a Mandate Strategy to represent Ngāti Rangitihi in ‘Comprehensive Treaty Settlement’ negotiations, to settle all outstanding Ngāti Rangitihi treaty claims not covered by the CNI Forests Collective Settlement. The Crown calls it “comprehensive” because it wants all Ngāti Rangitihi claims to be included in the negotiations. The Crown also wants to negotiate with only one Ngāti Rangitihi organisation. The Office of Treaty Settlements (OTS) is the government department that negotiates the settlement of historical Treaty of Waitangi claims and seeks to build positive relationships between the Crown and Māori. OTS is responsible to the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and provides policy advice on specific Treaty settlements such as CNI. OTS is also responsible to implement settlements of historical claims, including matters to do with surplus Crown land. The Crown has some key requirements for any organisation wishing to represent Ngāti Rangitihi in negotiations. The organisation must: (1) be “a large natural grouping of Ngāti Rangitihi” and (2) have the support (or mandate) from the people of Ngāti Rangitihi to represent them. Te Mana believes it is the most suitable organisation to represent Ngāti Rangitihi. With over 4,100 beneficiaries on its register, Te Mana has already met the first Crown requirement for it to be a large natural grouping of Ngāti Rangitihi. To meet the second Crown requirement, of securing a mandate from Ngāti Rangitihi, Te Mana is currently holding a nation-wide vote asking the people of Ngāti Rangitihi to vote “ae/yes” if they want Te Mana to represent them in Treaty negotiations. Alternatively the people of Ngāti Rangitihi can vote ”kao/no” if they don’t want Te Mana to represent them. The mandating result will be known soon after 12 June 2014, which is the cut-off date for validating registrations. Further information can be found at ngatirangitihi.iwi.nz or phone Te Mana on 0800 AKATEA.
Posted on: Sun, 11 May 2014 20:53:45 +0000
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