Still no agreement on Bastion Point

Press, 6 May 1978, Page 6

Still no agreement on Bastion Point

PA Auckland The Maori elders’ group involved in the Bastion Point land issue remained resolutely opposed to the militants last evening, and it now seems almost certain that two of the protesters’ leaders will go to jail. The Supreme Court decision yesterday to stay proceedings at least until Monday put the ball firmly at the feet of the elders. Mr Justice Speight directed the Supreme Court sheriff (Mr P. J. Cunneen) not to exercise a writ of attachment over the week-end because of the possibility that Orakei Maoris might resolve the mat?’ ter.

But elders said yesterday: “Nothing has changed. There is no way we will compromise. <We have sent our telegram to Mr Muldoon and that is the way we feel.” (The telegram said that further contact with the protesters was useless because of their attitude and lack of respect, and it asked the Prime Minister to act expeditiously on the matter.) At a meeting last evening they said that their representatives had attended the previous night’s meeting with; the protesters only in deference to Dr R. J. I. Walker, the chairman of the Auckland District Maori Council. “We deny any intended reconciliation with the protesters,” they said. The elders were concerned that the confidentiality of that meeting had been broken and

1 that their views had been . misrepresented to the “New t Zealand Herald” and the f Supreme Court. t The elders said that they ; could in no way be blamed . that the defendants might go , to jail. Mr Joe Hawke and Mr Roger Rameka themselves . had the option of removing . themselves from Bastion Point . over the week-end or going to i I prison. Mr Hawke, at least in pubI lie, yesterday took a much f more conciliatory stand. i Asked if he would walk off t Bastion Point “under his own f steam” if the sheriff came to j arrest him, Mr Hawke said: * “I will.” He also spoke of the need

for the elders and protesters to "drop their differences and stop stabbing each other in the back.” More significantly, he backed away from the hardline demand that the whole of Bastion Point be returned to the Maoris. He spoke of a need to “tighten up” the existing agreement between the elders and the Government. But Mr Hawke also said he did not believe “it should hurt the Government” to waive compensation for the land involved in the proposed settlement with the Ngati Whatua. Again in a more conciliatory manner, he said the Government should possibly be asked if it were willing to place the land intended to go to the Auckland City Council as a reserve in the hands of the Ngati Whatua.

i The existing proposal is ' that 25 acres be vested in a i new Ngati Whatua trust board, that 30 acres — addit tional to the existing 117 1 acres — be vested in the > Auckland City Council as a I reserve, and that four acres > be used for medium-density, ; low-cost community housing, t Mr Hawke was seeking to i take a part in decisionmaking with the elders; it ■ remained to be seen if his 1 softer line would continue in light of the elders’ own hardf line attitude. i “The struggle is in a new > phase,” Mr Hawke said. “Our : people must come together, it is only then we can get real I justice."