Taranaki iwi show they don’t need a Treaty clause to get a slice of the oil action

It's much safer with good cultural advice.

It’s great to see an enterprising iwi prepared to strike its own deal with oil companies and not come bleating to the Beehive about the need for Treaty rights to be built into oil-industry legislation.

In Alf’s experience, the Maori doing the bleating on these occasions typically are lobbying for favours – they demand to be promoted to first place in the queue of buyers when state assets are sold, for example, or they want a big chunk of fishing quota handed to them on a plate, and so on…

But a South Taranaki iwi has taken its own commendable initiative and has signed a ground-breaking agreement with an oil company which – all going well – will result in jobs being offered in exchange for support.

Their curious ideas about Maori representation is another good reason to keep Greens on the sideline

Did Alf hear Metiria Turei blatting on about Maori being unrepresented on the new Environmental Protection Agency?

Maori fill only two of eight positions was her complaint (although earlier today Mrs Grumble couldn’t track down an internet reference to the remarks reported by Radio NZ).

The way we were taught to do our sums here in Eketahuna, that means 15% or so of the population is represented by 25% of the appointees. Not bad, eh?

By claiming this to be under-representation, Ms Turei reinforces Alf’s firm belief that Greens are unfit to hold any office that would require them to make economic decisions.