Maori withdraws from A.R.A.

Press, 8 July 1986, Page 5

Maori withdraws from A.R.A.

PA Auckland The Auckland District Maori Council has withdrawn its representative on the Auckland Regional Authority’s planning committee in protest at a claimed lack of Maori representation. The Maori representative on the committee is Mrs Naida Povey. Committee members were told of the council’s decision, but the letter announcing its intention was not made available. The chairman of the authority, Mr Fred Thomas, said he had replied to the council, “and good reply it was, too.” He declined to elaborate. A committee member, Mrs Jean Sampson, commenting on the withdrawal of the only Maori

on the authority as a protest move, said: “I would say it is a bit of an Irish joke, isn’t it?” The matter will be discussed at the next meeting of the authority on July 21. The chairman of the Maori Council, Dr Rangi Walker, said the council had withdrawn all cooperation from the A.R.A. because it had given up two opportunities recently to make a Maori appointment to its membership. “The Maori people are not going to take that cavalier treatment from people with power any more,” said Dr Walker. "We do not see any point in co-operating with mono-cultural people who are into achieving power.”