31 Jul 2019

Ihumātao: Mandate system divides Māori - kaumātua protestor

From Morning Report, 6:12 am on 31 July 2019

One of the hundreds of protesters at Ihumātao says there should be more Māori land occupations.

Bob Rolleston is a kaumātua from Matakana Island in the Bay of Plenty.

He joined the protest in South Auckland on Tuesday where local Māori are trying to stop a housing development despite the project having the the backing of the mandated tribal authority.

Mr Rolleston told RNZ's Māori news correspondent Leigh-Marama McLachlan the mandate system doesn't work and causes too much division.