Wind claim will damage race relations – Banks
Ngapuhi's claim on air is a step too far, says ACT leader.
Ngapuhi's claim for the commercial use of wind defies common sense and will greatly damage relations between Maori and non-Maori New Zealanders, ACT leader John Banks said today.
"New Zealanders are fair and reasonable. Most agree that settling the issues of the past through the Treaty Settlement process is the right thing to do," Mr Banks says.
“But the Treaty Settlement process should be about righting the wrongs of the past, not creating new divisions.
"Ngapuhi's attempt to claim rights over the wind will push many New Zealanders' goodwill to breaking point.
Unlike land or fisheries, the commercial use of wind does not prevent anyone else from utilising it, nor does it diminish supply.
"ACT is a firm believer in private property rights and the right of individuals to go to court to claim compensation if their property rights are impinged upon," he says.
"But the use of wind, commercial or otherwise, does not prevent any other New Zealander from enjoying it in equal measure.
"It is disappointing that Northland iwi have lodged such an opportunistic claim."
NBR staff
Mon, 10 Sep 2012
Mon, 10 Sep 2012
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Wind claim will damage race relations – Banks
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