At a meeting at Kaikoura yesterday Mark Solomon retained his position as the Kaikoura representative.
Among those presnt were Tipene O'Regan, Tahu Potiki, Maria Pera, Te Marie Tau, Gabrielle Huria, Robin Wybrow etc who are part of the group, in view wishing to oust Mark and take control of the tribe.
They failed to oust Mark. This group and others -see my previous post – are completely discredited
Well it seems the people of Kuri have heard what these self selected leaders have had to say and reached their own conclusions.
Reports of the meeting are slowly making their way around the whanui. It seems obvious now why Team Tahu – or is it Team Tipene – were anxious to run the campaign in the media and not on the marae.
The misinformation does not stand up to scrutiny and neither does the weak excuses as to why these miscreants wanted to go to the media and not to the marae.
As an archtect of the original design of TR Tipene ought to have known better. There are proper ways to debate issues so why did they not take them?
All that is left to do now is for someone to ask them what the real reason is – for some it is stupidity, for others …
The whanau need to ask them if they turn up on a marae near you.
Hard to imagine how the two groups are ever going to get on… so are we in for a perpetual to-ing and fro-ing as they have turnabout at the top?
Where are our great peacemakers?
Who can bring the two sides together for the good of everyone. Is there anyone of mana independent of the two groups?
I hope people are working behind the scenes towards this end. The great mass of Ngai Tahu whanui would be keen to know as well I think.
agreed – so who do we have who are peacemakers?
BB Why do we need peacemakers? These malcontents should answer up to their Runanga and Runanga should decide their fate. Problem is that there are some Runanga are who are a closed shop- Awarua is a classic -see comments by Vera on this blog about this. Why should we kowtow to this tiny group whose recent covert scheme has just been outed? This group has been behaving in a disruptive manner for years. In my view, it all started shortly after the arrival of Potiki as CEO. Its being going on in one guise or another ever since. I have recorded a time line of these events. Tront knew what was happening but decided to either ignore what was happening and/or sought consensus (in good faith) hoping the problems would go away. The dissident Tront reps simply exploited the consensus approach. It would have been better – and I suggested this to some reps- to go to the shareholders and say this not working. My view, is no peacemakers, purge the rotten apples from the NT tray.
I see Mark is coming to Awarua. I intend to be there and I know a few others who will too.
In the meantime will Hana call for Maria to resign as per the Hokonui letter or is that just more empty meaningless words based on PR advice?
Just in reply to what Hemi had to say in his opening statement. I am of Ngati (Kati) Kuri and attended the meeting on Sunday.
Mark Solomon delivered his usual speech of facts (whose? HIS) and said all the right things to a crowd of followers anyway. In my view he could have stood up and said I got high off pot and then I went and murdered 20 people and then I went to bed and his followers still would have said what a true born leader he is.
My point is this that Mark is safe because he is good at the numbers game. It isn’t because the people heard the facts. There were certain facts that he stared clear from because they were the truth.
I am glad that I can come and go from the runanga and feel for those that are there everyday, because my view of the hui at Takahanga was a political disgrace and if that is what TRONT is lead by then sorry TRONT you won’t last.
To Hemi, you were obviously not at the runanga meeting in Kaikoura, for if you were you would certainly not have wrote that the “people” heard from the “self selected leaders” and made their own conclusions…………..Are you so ill informed to think that the whanau whom attend runanga meetings every month, play an active role in the runanga & keep the paepae warm would be the ones who’s votes counted? Last month there was not even enough atendees to have a quorum, not so this month thanks to the Kaiwhakahaere. There has been no secret made by the families that came to the meeting whom are not usually there as to why they were there & who asked them to come. Sadly this meant that although Mark hedged his way around the questions asked of him & arrogantly ignored his aunt & uncles request to stand down without even an explanation he came out with the numbers on the day.
Sadly, the kaiwhakahaere openly disregarded his kaumatua & in fact allow verbal attacks to the 2 kaumatua whom were brave enough to say that they have had enough & no longer support Mark as their rep…………..
So no Hemi, contrary to your statement the “people” of kuri did not have their voices heard. So loud were the voices (and at times screeches) of the “mark solomon rentacrowd” so full of vulgarity & obscenities not fit for kaumatua or tamariki ears, that it is not surprising at all that the only voice heard on the day was that of “team Mark”!!
The meeting on Sunday was a sad occasion for the people of Ngati Kuri no longer is this man Mark about the people this man is all about who can get the most votes.
No longer is it about what is Tika it is about who gets the most votes.
No longer is about Whakapapa or Kaumatua it is all about who gets the most cowards to vote.
At this meeting a comment was made about when our Taua and Paua and Kaumatua were at the table and voting was not a process that took place if we went back to these ways then there would be no tight 9 or tight 7 our people would be togeather and our iwi would move forward together.
Sad to say that some people want to have what they think is mana but how long do we allow this fore, as our Whakapapa is being violated and people out there, know this.
The meeting held at takahanga on Sunday was sad. It was no surprise Mark would win, but we lost our chair (and his reaction since then has reconfirmed it was the right thing to do – but it is still sad)
Mark has the support of his people, it was proven, you say he had all his followers, you are trying to say that our people can not make up thier own mind, that they do as they are told. Then you are the ignorant one if you beleive that.
“Facts” – the fact of the matter is that Mark does his job as the representative of kaikoura. He reports back to every meeting, (sometimes he can talk well over 30 minutes). He outlines his opinion and reasoning, he listens and answers any questions . Our runanga is represented in every forum that is relevant within our takiwa.
On a personal note, one thing I do like about him is that he will front anybody and he will not say anything unless he can prove it. He is working in a thankless job.
Mark has the support of the selected, over half the people who turned up on Sunday hardly never turns up and none of them turn up to keep the paepae of Ngati Kuri warm no that is the very few.
You say that people make up there own minds funny that they turned up to the one meeting that required a vote so is this Tika.
Today the tribe operates on who can get the most votes not on what is Tika and the majority of those that voted will learn this as it is our Whakapapa that was violated.
Kia ora ki a koe,
If your heart and mind think Maaori, then there is no reason why Mr Mark Solomon should not stay in the position Mr Solomon is in.
I personnaly do not know Mr Solomon, but his past speaks for itself
With Respect
Brent Lindsay
Te Ati Awa