No peace move, says Mr Rata

Press, 10 April 1980, Page 25

No peace move, says Mr Rata

PA I’’ . Auckland Thejtabour Party, has made “no last-ditch”' effort to return him to its ranks, according to the Independent member of Parliament for Northern Maori (Mr Matiu Rata). Mr Rata has said that he rejected any implication that- the tone of a week-end meeting on the Utekura marae, north of.Kaikohe, was that he should return. The subject was touched on only briefly, he said.

He referred to a report that quoted the acting chairman of the Northern Maori Labour electorate committee (Mr J. J. Turei) as saying that more than 300

people representing most of the northern Maori tribes attended the meeting, the tone of which was that he should return.

Mr Rata said that six months ago he was invited by the host tribe, the Ngati Toro, to attend a moving unveiling ceremony in honour of deceased relatives of the tribe.' During the week-end many subjects were discussed in the Maori way, including politics, he said, but there was no request that he return to the Labour Party. Mr Rata said that the tribe might believe, because of the story, that he had used a sombre occasion to grab political capital.