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The government maintains it wants to settle with Ngāpuhi by 2040, amid warnings a New Zealand First bill forcing the iwi into a single settlement “closes the door” on negotiations.
NZ First minister Shane Jones said New Zealand could no longer afford the ongoing negotiations with the country’s largest iwi after “well beyond $20 million” had been spent on the claim so far.
Jones said the member’s bill his party is drafting will force Ngāpuhi into a single settlement, rather than multiple settlements with smaller groups.
Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith indicated that although the government’s preference was for a single commercial settlement, all options remained on the negotiation table.
Goldsmith said the negotiation period could not be open-ended.
“We don’t want to impose an unrealistic deadline but likewise we don’t want things to go on past 2040, when we want to be celebrating our bicentenary.
“I don’t think it can be open-ended, it can’t be as long as forever. I think we do need to make progress at some time, but we haven’t put an exact date on it.”
NZ Herald
