Crown plan for Ngāpuhi divisive - Waihoroi Shortland

The Ngāti Hine chair Waihoroi Shortland says the Crown is setting Ngāpuhi up for war - with its new mandate model. The representation plan drawn up by a Ngāpuhi working group, crown officials and Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little goes to the vote next month. Under the model, elected hapū reps would be a strong majority on a new mandate trust. Waihoroi Shorthland says that trust would then negotiate the commercial settlement - up to a rumoured $500 million. And it would then work with six regional hapū groups to decide who gets what. Mr Shortland says the Crown couldn't have come up with a more divisive plan if it tried.