5 Feb 2020

Iwi leaders to confront Prime Minister

From Morning Report, 8:16 am on 5 February 2020

Iwi leaders have reached boiling point over what they say is a lack of engagement by the government and they are not going to put up with it.

The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will front up to them today at the annual Iwi Chairs Forum at Waitangi - where dozens of leaders from major iwi spent yesterday debating key issues in te Ao Maori.

The iwi chairs decided against an idea that would see them promise not to take Maori water rights to court, and they threw unanimous support behind calls to overhaul Oranga Tamariki.

RNZ Maori news correspondent Leigh-Marama McLachlan was at the hui and speaks to Morning Report.