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National | Politics

Ture Whenua Māori bill won’t be made law before election – Flavell

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell has revealed to Te Kāea, Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill will not be made into law before the election as expected.

The Minister, spoke exclusively to Te Kāea political reporter Heta Gardiner, saying “We don’t have enough time to get it through parliament before this year’s election.”

Mr Flavell says Māori have engaged in Te Ture Whenua Māori and that it’s been six years in the making and over the last three years, 3000 people have attended more than 170 meetings around the country, it's been a long journey and this is not the outcome he had hoped for. “It won’t make it. There is nothing we can do about it.” says Flavell.

In a recent interview with Te Kāea Labour MP Meka Whaitiri for Ikaroa Rāwhiti said she has held a number of hui in her electorate to discuss concerns around Te Ture Whenua Māori Reform Bill and says land owners are not at the heart of the changes.

She says it's a bill that nobody wants, "What I've always challenged the Minister on is not that he's had consultation hui it's whether he has listened to what the people have said at those hui."

"At the hui in Ikaroa Rāwhiti people were actually forced to move a motion for the bill not to proceed, it's never been reported back in parliament that he does not have the broad base support that the Waitangi Tribunal said he must have if he's going to proceed with this bill."

But Te Ururoa Flavell disagrees with Whaitiri and says the bill is designed to keep land in Māori hands while encouraging land development as well.

The Māori Party will need to return to parliament in order for the bill to be re-ignited.