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6. Consultation Process

A key feature that emerged from discussions around consultation in the earlier round was the need for ongoing dialogue on the technical and complicated issues involved via a properly resourced consultative forum. The government went some way to supporting this by resourcing the participation of the Māori Reference Group Executive members at each of the ETS regional hui. In addition to the regional hui on ETS, it also supported additional hui for the Māori Reference Group on 25 September and 25 October 2007, a Māori leadership collective on 3 September and 26 October 2007; a National Māori Forestry Hui on 8 November 2007; and weekly meetings of an executive of Māori Reference Group during October and November.

Nevertheless, the consultation process came under scrutiny again. Some felt that Māori were not being recognised as a Treaty partner, and the tight timelines in which to understand and then comment on the ETS and its impact on Māori were also criticised.

You went back over the themes that arose in the last round of hui, there was very little on what action has been taken. You mentioned Māori as Treaty partners being able to make ‘special comment’ – but that’s not ‘partnership’. There is a sense in the documents of tangata whenua being treated merely as a ‘special interest group’. Māori want to be heard, want to participate, and want to be able to have concerns noted and addressed once they have been raised, and our ability to do so is effectively marginalised in participation, and especially decision-making.

(Maever Moeau, Tūranga Nui ā Kiwa Hui)

There has not been engagement at this level with respect to climate change. What process have the ministries here taken to engage with Ngāti Ruanui and Ngā Rauru on climate change under the protocol? Our kaumātua and kuia were down in Wellington recently engaging with ministries and this was not covered.

(Sam Tamarapa, Taranaki Hui)

There was some concern expressed about the lack of government response to points raised in earlier consultation hui.

This is a hōhā when we come to these hui and there is uncertainty about the Government’s response or implementation of the points raised.

(Melanie McGregor, Nelson Hui)

Many of the hui attendees represented a larger constituency of iwi and hapū members, land owners, and/or Māori business interests and there was concern about not being able to communicate such complicated issues amongst these constituencies.

My job is to communicate this to the Hauraki people and we need to have a way to do this that gives them confidence ... However, my concern is that, before we can appropriately respond, we must have a clear picture of how this works and what the impacts are going to be on Hauraki and its holdings.

(Toko Renata, Tainui Hui)

In the absence of proper consultation or engagement, Māori unanimously supported the Climate Change Iwi Leadership Group and the Māori Reference Group/Executive at the national hui held on 26 October 2007, 8 November 2007 and 18 December 2007. The structure that was supported and the inter-relationships are noted in the following diagram:

See figure at its full size (including text description).

It was stressed at the most recent national hui, that this engagement needed to be at least as robust for the next sectors that are to be included into the ETS:

In the north there are a lot of our whanau involved in the farming industry. We need the same rigor and assessment for the farming sector as has been undertaken for the forestry sector.

(Raniera Tau, Iwi Leaders National Climate Change Hui,
Whanganui a Tara (Wellington))

Due to the importance of this issue to Māori, further support was given to a mandated group or forum continuing to engage with the government over the next 10 years:

On the issue of resourcing, there is a need for a stable group to work this issue through for the next 10-year period which has the support of a big part of the Māori community.

(Kathy Ertel, Iwi Leaders National Climate Change Hui,
Whanganui a Tara)

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