Waatea News Column: Justice finally for Ihumatao
1300s – Māori settle Ihumātao.
1865 – Crown steals Ihumātao by force.
1867 – Crown sells the stolen land into private interests.
2020 – Crown finally buys back land from private interests and returns it those they stole it from.
I am not interested in people whining about how much taxpayers are paying for this solution. $30m is a drop in the bucket compared to how much money National wasted on that bloody flag referendum.
This was land stolen by the crown and sold into private ownership, it is righteous that the Crown buy it back.
The Government should be thanked for coming up with a solution and if it starts a chain reaction around New Zealand over other stolen land, good!
This is a very Kiwi solution that has involved everyone working together with a genuine desire to find a real solution.
Congratulations to the protestors, to the Government, to the Māori King, the Auckland City Council and to Fletchers.
History has finally healed one injustice.
First published on Waatea News.
It is perhaps a little early to declare this dispute over. The government’s insistence that the land will be used for housing flies in the face of SOUL’s idea that the land is sacred and should be reserved for posterity in its current condition. The fact that Grant Robertson was chosen to break the news to the media and the public, rather than Jacinda Ardern, suggests that there are still fish hooks to be found in this “deal”. Most of us will be listening to what Pania Newton has to say, and will take a lead from he when the time is right.