On Monday the 23rd of Feb it was announced in various newspapers that on Sunday, Tront – the tribal council , voted 11-7 ( the vote was- 11 for, 2 against, 2 abstained- 3 three did not vote) to dismiss Wally Stone Chair of NTHC – the tribe’s commercial arm. The announcement came with a flurry of emotional indignation from tribal members in support of Stone.
My view is that it he should have been dismissed. My surprise is that the decision to dismiss took so long in coming.
This morning “The Press” published an article entitled “ Secret Reports Strains in Relationships”. This accurately sums up what has been going on – not just recently but for months.
“The "strictly confidential" Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu (Tront) paper, signed by a Tront general manager, Tony Gray, lists strains in the relationship between the tribe and the holding company, Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation (NTHC). The report was seen by The Press yesterday.Under a heading "Where to from here", it says "change must happen" and that an "urgent decision needs to be taken"."The chairman of NTHC (Stone) needs to be acquainted with the seriousness of the situation and invited to consider the position of NTHC, its board and of the senior executives," the report says."HE should be asked to consider his position and potentially resign."The report , dated November 10 last year, also says Tront has the "authority to dismiss the chair if this was not done voluntary (sic)".The 18 members of the Tront board were given the report at the weekend's special meeting, which saw Stone removed as NTHC chairman after an 11 to seven vote behind closed doors.The Gray report suggests resistance to the planned $52 million Christchurch headquarters and cultural centre may have been a factor in Stone's departure.The report said there were "continued difficulties with NTHC in obtaining co-operation" on what was a "key project" for Ngai Tahu. The working relationship between Tront and the holding company had been "challenging", it said.(NB this House of Tahu has been going on for years – will write about it some other time)There was a "lack of respect" for Te Runanga from NTHC, which did not appear to "understand" its values or practices."Without being exhaustive, I have seen plenty of evidence to demonstrate the inadequate behaviour of the NTHC board and its executives," said Gray, Tront general manager secretarial and group monitoring.Holding company board papers were "deliberately, in my view" given late to Tront and NTHC continued to "take ideas from office executives and promote them as their own", the report said.——“ In a few words what Stone, his Board and his Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Harrison have been guilty of, is being uncooperative, disrespectful and obstructive towards Tront, the Office and ultimately Ngai Tahu shareholders. Just one example from a Tront report a few months ago illustrates this attitude. There was a debate about where the IT function should lie, in the Office or with NTHC where it is at the moment. The Office, unable resolve the issue, commissioned a report from major consultancy firm. Despite this expert advice being sought NTHC refused to even discuss the report. What Stone and NTHC seem to have forgotten is Tront is the sole shareholder of NTHC. I was reminded of the words of one Tront rep ten years ago in describing the relationship “ When Tront says ‘jump’ to NTHC they jump – the question is ‘how high?’ ”. The majority of the Tront table were simply fed up with the attitude of Stone and NTHC so Stone went. Perhaps Andrew Harrison should be the next to go. The heart of the problem, until recently, has been the complete lack of corporate discipline, commercial protocols and the accepted standards associated with large complex organisations. These standards were implemented effectively during the initial phase of Tront’s commercial operations with CEO Sid Aston and the early NTHC Boards. Standards slowly deteriorated with Tahu Potiki as CEO. The 2000-2006 Board (of which I was a member) maintained the expected standards but it was difficult; it was like two teams playing a game with only one side knowing the rules. After the sacking of the Board that I was on standards at Tront, the Office, and NTHC collapsed completely.It is only since Anake Goodall was appointed CEO and developed his new team that disciplines have returned. I have a lot of sympathy for the majority ( 11 Tront representatives) in the current Tront position. There are 7, the “tight7”, who in my opinion are simply destructive and subversive. It must be difficult sitting at the Tront table and not knowing what the correct protocols are or worse, when there are no apparent protocols. Wally Stone must be given credit for the success of Whale Watch even though it’s a monopoly. But he has no experience in chairing a muti –disciplined business such as NTHC -to be continued
E hoa,
You and Gray are quite confused, when you suggest there are strains between the TRIBE and the holding company- don’t you mean TRONT and the Holding Co?
Don’t for one second link TRONT to having the same veiw as the IWI. TRONT do what they like despite opposing veiws from Iwi members.
There are more strains between TRONT and Iwi members than iwi and the Holding Co.
So they are guilty of being unco-operative, disresectful and obstructive towards ultimately the Ngai Tahu shareholders?
So that is the criteia to accept resignations, well in that case I am looking forward to see how many of those who shut our Kaumatua out of that meeting in CHCH in 07 when the last raru raru was going down step up and honourably stand down.
Their behaviour was totally disrespectful, to elders who had travelled long distances to express their concerns, they even had security there to ensure they could hold another closed shop meeting, where is the transparency? Let alone common courtesy.
I am Ngai Tahu and proud of it, i will speak for myself. TRONT does not share my veiw so they cannot speak for me, let alone Tony Gray.
Good on Wally and co. for slowing up TRONT, Do the people want this House of Tahu? I dont.
I want to see some real tangible benefits going to the beneficiaries, like Papakainga and Kainga for our old people, it is them we should be housing, not the Police!
He aha te mea nui? The bottom line? No way!
Clint Thompson
Ko au te uri a Te Huruhuru me Peneta Nohoa hoki.
Tena
Kia ora Clint
Thanks for your comments.
a. The strains are indeed between Tront and NTHC. I was quoting from The Press article which in turn came from a leaked confidential Tront paper that I have not seen and do not wish to see because it confidential.
b. The problem when such papers are leaked is that what produced in the media is often not the full story.
c. “Uncooperative et al” NTHC certainly were -will be writing more on this.
d. The process is that Tront represents the wider shareholders interest through individual reps.
e. If a shareholder is unhappy he or she should say so to their representative.
f. If you are unhappy you can vote in the next Rananga election.
g. Tony Gray is an employee of Tront. In my view employees should no be criticised particularly about political matters. Its unfair; employees are unable to talk back.
h. Agreed “CHCH-07 was shocking. I was there. What was particularly shocking were certain Tront reps, one was Maria Pera, leaving by the back door.
Na Richard
Kia ora Richard
Kia tautoko au to korero pono!
Na Moana