This is edition 2025/51 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Welcome back. It's 2025 and 20 years since I started writing about politics and anything else that took my fancy. Thank to my VIP members for making this site what it is today. In July we will be having a 20th birthday celebration. Stay tuned for more announcements.
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. New Zealand is being pulled in two different directions
Ani O'Brien
- 📜 Waitangi Tribunal Review Report: The Waitangi Tribunal's Strategic Direction Review Group published their report, assessing how well the Tribunal has implemented its goals since 2014, following Richard Prebble's resignation over this document.
- ⚖️ Expansion vs Retraction: There's a significant divide between those who want to expand the Tribunal’s role, particularly activists and Te Pāti Māori, and those who seek to retract it, in line with the Coalition Government’s view.
- 💰 Resource Struggles: The report highlights that the Tribunal faces resourcing issues due to its growing workload, recommending increased funding and more members to manage the future workload.
- 🏛️ Urgent Claims and Government Policy: Following the change in government, urgent claims have increased, raising concerns about activists using them to block or influence government policies.
- 🧭 Reforming the Tribunal: Some propose amendments to restrict who can make claims, limiting it to iwi, not individual Māori, which would shift the financial burden onto claimants.
- 🌍 Kaupapa Inquiries Expansion: The review stresses the growing importance of Kaupapa inquiries, covering issues like climate change and justice, but this has raised alarms over the Tribunal's expanding influence.
- 🔴 Political Stakes: The report notes that Kaupapa inquiry recommendations could be legislated by a Labour-led government, raising fears about radical constitutional changes.
- 🤝 Potential Conflicts of Interest: The review group, with strong ties to activists and the Tribunal, has been criticized for lacking independence, given the close relationships between members and claimants.
- 🔄 Future of the Tribunal: The Tribunal's future remains uncertain, with some advocating for retraction and others pushing for greater power, particularly over constitutional matters. This divide promises further political conflict.
