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National | News

Overlapping Treaty claim issues "inevitable" - Finlayson

The dispute over the Pare Hauraki Treaty claim is before the Waitangi Tribunal, and that's no surprise to former Minister of Treaty Negotiations, Chris Finlayson. 

Finlayson was the minister responsible for progressing the Pare Hauraki claim.  He doesn't believe that overlapping claim issues can be avoided.

"It really is inevitable, I've been involved both as a lawyer and as a minister with Treaty settlement claims...they are complex issues and everyone approaches them in good faith and sincerity, but they're difficult issues and sometimes the Tribunal wants to lend a hand and that's all good."

This process has driven a wedge between iwi, in particular those from Tauranga Moana and Pare Hauraki.

However, Koro Ngapo from Pare Hauraki says they would like to mend the hurt relationships between them and other iwi.

“Despite the anger and tension over the years, I still acknowledge and thank those elders from Tauranga Moana, those that have been on this journey for a long time," says Ngapo.

"What Pare Hauraki wants is to, firstly, get our claim completed, secondly, to go back and talk with those iwi that have been upset for some time.”