Ngai Tahu Shareholders

Background
For three years a group of nine Tront representatives have been trying to oust Mark Solomon as Kaiwhakahaere. The nine can provide no cohesive argument for opposing Mark. One of the things they do say is that Mark is not ‘good at chairing meetings’. I have heard told that if you were to be present at one of those meetings you would see that it is like trying to control an unruly school classroom. The nine “tight9”- as they have become known- Tront representatives who have consistently over the last three years opposed Mark are Maria Pera (Awarua), James Daniels (Waerewa) Lisa Tumahai (Waewae), Te Maire Tau (Tuahuriri), Terry Nicholas(Hokonui), Garry Waaka (Arowhenua), Koa Mantell (Moeraki), Charlie Crofts (Koukouratata) and the late Kelly Davis (Waihao). I have come to the conclusion that this staunch and unrelenting opposition is not about values and principles, but more about who has power and control over tribal assets and money. It would appear that there are external persons and other influences driving these nine at the table.

The ‘Buyout’
On Tuesday 6 March 2006, in an article in “The Press” it was announced that there had been an attempt to break the stalemate at the table by offering to buy out Mark Solomon’s contract for the sum of $300,000 (this sum comes from the media- so no accuracy is implied). Mark in fact, had rejected this offer by the time of publication. A similar report also appeared in the “New Zealand Herald”

Wally Stone, acting CE of NTHC, and Tront members Liz Brown and Maria Pera, led the “Group” of people who made the offer. Liz and Maria are members of Tront’s Contracts Review Committee who have the responsibility for Mark’s contract. Why Wally was involved in what would be an employment issue is unclear. He was employed as the acting CE when Robin Pratt resigned from this NTHC position in June last year. In this instance at least, it appears that he has extended his brief to the tribal political area.

The rest of Tront representatives had no idea this negotiation was to take place. The “Group” had no authority to spend any amount of money on severance from shareholders funds.

Mark was subsequently accused of leaking the offer to the media: This defies logic. Why would Mark or anybody in a similar position reveal to the media the details of an exit package?
Mark’s statement was in reaction to what others had leaked to the media.

A reporter told me two days after this leak that there were three people who could have leaked the information and named Stone, Brown, and Pera. The reporter then asked me who would I thought it was. I had no hesitation in naming Pera who could have channelled the information through one of her colleagues in the tight9. The reporter seemed to concur with my view. The tight9 have been responsible for many media leaks that have angered tribal members- I cannot see why they would have changed their tactics on this occasion. Liz Brown has an impeccable reputation as an intelligent person and representative for Taumutu. She succeeded her aunt the much-revered Cath Brown. Of the three, she is the least likely source of this leak.

Meeting 12 March, 2007
Wally Stone then called a meeting of Tront reps for the following Saturday – 12 March but excluded Mark. This is in direct contravention of The Charter that says no Runanga can be excluded from Tront meetings. Kaikoura, (Mark’s Runanga) sent a message to Wally requesting that a representative be present, but no reply was received. Wally’s later explanation to Tront reps was that Mark had wanted the meeting. This again defies logic. Why would Mark call a meeting that he knew nothing about?

Mark Accused Of ‘Bringing The Tribe Into Disrepute’
Following the above weekend meeting of Tront and without further consultation with Tront, Mark was given a letter signed by the “Group” making accusations that Mark had brought the tribe into disrepute citing, among other things, the allegation that he had leaked the ‘buyout’ proposal to the media. Mark rejected these allegations.

Again other Tront members had no knowledge of this letter or its contents.

Friday’s Call From Kaumatua
On Friday 18th of March “The Press” and the “NZ Herald” reported the following:
“The statement – jointly signed by Kaumatua Sir Tipene O'Regan and Rakiihia (Rik) Tau, and Wally Stone, chairman of the powerful Ngai Tahu Group Board – said Ngai Tahu's mana had been damaged "to a disastrous degree in the last two weeks”–
"It's been an appalling display of petty personality politics and it is not acceptable," Tau said.
The three blamed Solomon for damaging the tribe's reputation by breaching the confidential nature of his exit discussions.
“Last week, Solomon rejected a $300,000 exit package, after initially offering to resign in an attempt to solve problems at the boardroom table.”
The statement went on to say that “Te Marie Tau would resign if Mark did –“

Clearly Wally had exhausted other options and joined with O’Regan and Tau to make this statement on the eve of a Tront meeting to try and influence iwi and Tront members. The statement was interesting for a number of reasons:
a. O’Regan and Tau (the father of Te Maire) had finally, jointly, declared their hand in ousting the Kaiwhakahaere.
b. The statement to the media came out of the office of the Acting General Manager of the Office, the partner of Te Marie Tau.
c. Why do O’Regan and Tau have access to Tront’s media services when no other Kaumatua or beneficiaries do?

On the same morning there was the sad news of the untimely death of Kelly Davis, the Tront representative for Waihao. The Tront meeting was postponed for two weeks as a mark of respect.

At this stage it was clear to me Wally Stone’s goal was to eject Mark without consultation with and the authority of Tront. Tront, as the political governing body had lost control to a member of the executive. What is astonishing was that no Tront representative questioned Wally’s authority to act in this way.

 
A new Tront meeting was convened for Fri/Sat March 30 and 31. On the previous Thursday evening there was an informal meeting held at the Rehua marae of approximately 60 concerned beneficiaries worrying about the goings on at the table. They declared support for Mark, with some calling for the resignation of the whole Tront table.

During the formal meeting the next day (Friday) the morning was taken up with heartfelt submissions on the situation from Ngai Tahu beneficiaries from several regions.
The next day (Saturday), Tront spent all day ‘in committee’. Kaumatua and beneficiaries spent the day outside, waiting. During the ‘in committee’ time it was revealed that James Daniels knew about the ‘buyout’ negotiations the day these negotiations had taken place.

Early in the afternoon Mark left the meeting. At 4 o’clock Donald Couch announced the Tront table had reached a compromise solution about Mark’s position. This solution would be revealed on Monday, after Mark had been consulted. The ‘compromise’ as it turned out was one-sided- it simply stripped Mark of all his duties leaving him to remain as Chair in name only. Tront had voted 14-3 for the compromise.

This was significant for two reasons. Firstly Tront were desperate for a solution, and an acceptable compromise solution would suffice. Secondly, Liz Brown shifted her former allegiance away from Mark because she was, on the Saturday, persuaded that Mark was responsible for the ‘buyout’ leak. Because Liz is so highly respected this would have influenced other supporters of Mark towards an acceptable compromise solution.
Donald Couch held the media conference at 3 o’clock on the Monday as he said he would. Donald Couch did consult Mark on the compromise and Mark rejected it.  Incredibly, Donald went ahead with the conference without mentioning Mark’s rejection of the compromise proposal! Mark had been sidelined.

 But on the Sunday after the Tront meeting, a further meeting of concerned beneficiaries took place at Turhuriri with the intent of removing Te Maire Tau as its marae representative. The intent failed because it had not been a properly notified meeting. However, it was during this meeting Te Maire Tau said that Liz Brown had been set up to believe that Mark had leaked the ‘buyout’ to the media.

On the Tuesday after the press conference Mark asked for the minutes of the Tront meeting over the weekend. This request was turned down,  by the Office and the Secretary to Tront, Russell Caldwell. How humiliating!

There are a number of issues from this saga:
– Is it credible that Mark would have initiated a public hearing of a possible buyout of his contract when such negotiations are very private? I think not
– Would a member of the negotiating ‘Group’ leak the ‘buyout’ information to the media? Very possible, and because the negotiations had broken down there was nothing to lose except to discredit Mark.
– Mark Solomon has consistently denied the leak allegations. Whom to believe? Mark. We now know that James Daniels knew of the negotiations the day they were happening and that Te Marie admits that Liz Brown was set up. This subterfuge is not compatible with the way Mark Solomon operates.
– Wally Stone: What was his role? It appears he has a political agenda (totally unauthorised by Tront) to get rid of Mark. What was he doing teaming up with O’Regan and Tau in the media release?
– What has been the role of the Office in all this? Is it becoming further tainted by politics?
– Where is the mana of Tront in all this? We are all the losers.

Finally. Who leaked the the infomation to the media about Mark's resignation package?

It was Maria Pera – she confessed. But Wally Stone has his hand in this – this not the end of this saga.