Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson is standing by his comments about protesters who want to meet him over a Far North coastal area they claim belongs to local Maori.Mr Finlayson yesterday told media the protesters can "go to hell because I
Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson is standing by his comments about protesters who want to meet him over a Far North coastal area they claim belongs to local Maori.
Mr Finlayson yesterday told media the protesters can "go to hell because I am not going up there".
"I am not going up to visit with people who are breaking the law."
Today, he said he stood by his comments.
"I said their behaviour is stupid. And I think it is stupid and I don't retract from that one bit," he told Radio New Zealand.
"I think these people ought to stand back and recognise that their actions are harmful to the iwi.
"It is not in the interests of iwi, it's not in the interests of iwi members, it's really just self-indulgence and bad behaviour."
Members of a hapu (sub-tribe) of Ngati Kahu yesterday occupied private land at Taipa Point in Doubtless Bay, northeast of Kaitaia.
The protesters in late October occupied the site of the nearby Taipa Sailing Club, saying that the land belonged to Maori. They left last week after being served trespass notices by police.
The protesters included Wikatana and John Ropata, who were previously sentenced to 100 hours community work for assaulting Prime Minister John Key at Waitangi in February last year.
Yesterday, the group set up camp on adjacent land that is in private ownership, and again asked Mr Finlayson to go to the site to talk to them about the land.
Mr Finlayson said yesterday there was a proper process for negotiating historical treaty claims with mandated iwi representatives.
"That process does not include occupying privately or council-owned land," he said.
"Ngati Kahu have mandated negotiators. Members of Ngati Kahu need to bring their issues to the negotiating table through those negotiators, rather trying to raise them through land occupation.
"This would allow them to move forward with reaching a deed of settlement so that benefits of settlement can start flowing to their iwi."
Mr Finlayson said the Crown signed an agreement in principle (AIP) with Ngati Kahu in January for the settlement of historical claims.
The settlement does not include the Taipa Point land.
Maori Party MP Hone Harawira said he was disappointed Mr Finlayson had spoken "so disparagingly" about the protesters.
"They are simply seeking the return of lands clearly identified by the Waitangi Tribunal as having been improperly taken in the past," he said. "They have been very respectful even when being abused themselves."
