Māori news stories for the week ending 15 March 2013
- The Chief Executive of Parininihi ki Waitotara Incorporation [PKW], has indicated that the Taranaki-based farming entity is reducing profit forecasts down by $1.5 million, due to the current drought. A profit of $2.6 million is still predicted this financial year. Parininihi ki Waitotara is the largest Māori-owned dairy farm, but also has interests in other commercial sectors.
- St Stephens ‘Old Boys’ and supporters are holding a hui to discuss potential re-opening of the school. The hui will be held in Auckland on 6 April 2013.
- This week the Lawyers and Coveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal stuck off John Rangitauira from the roll of barristers and solicitors, for bring the profession into disrepute. In 2011 Mr Rangitauira was found guilty of obtaining by deception circa $800,000 in funds from, and bank loans to, Te Houoterangi Trust. Mr Rangitauira was then dispossessed of the money he illegally received through an e-mail scan. At the time of Mr Rangitauira offending he was the chairman, trustee, and solicitor to the trust.
- The Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board is requesting new legislation to protect its role be enacted before the end of this calendar year. This is in response to their Waitangi Tribunal claim. (Pānui edition 36/2012 provides details on this). In our assessment, although changes in how Crown agencies such as the Ministry of Education and Te Puni Kōkiri work with the National Trust could be useful legislative amendments, overall why a private organisation would want to come under the direct legislative purview is unclear. (That is, there could be some risk of increased Government oversight, as has occurred in tertiary education when the three iwi wānanga became Crown entities in the 1990s.) We will advise further once more information on the proposed legislation is made available.