Claimants out of pocket after Waitangi Treaty claims

Waitangi Tribunal claimants are concerned about the mounting costs of challenging the Crown for breaching the Treaty. Retired probation officer Tom Hemopo says it cost him and his iwi at least 10 thousand dollars to take the Department of Corrections to the tribunal twice. That's despite his claim in 2016 successfully exposing the department for not trying hard enough to reduce Maori reoffending. Mr Hemopo's lawyer Roimata Smail says claimants are often hit in the pocket.