The New Zealand Māori Council is a body for the representation of and consultation with the Māori people of New Zealand.
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History and structure
The Council was created by the Maori Welfare Act 1962 (renamed the Maori Community Development Act 1962 by the Maori Purposes Act 1979). It is formed from an executive and representatives from 14 District Māori Councils. Currently the executive committee is composed of Sir Graham Latimer, Richard Orzecki and Tata Parata.
The Council has been involved in a number of Treaty of Waitangi disputes, representing Māori who wish to be dealt with altogether, rather than iwi by iwi; it frequently acts as the legal entity representing disparate groups of iwi and hapū.
The 1987 "Lands" case
The Council was the plaintiff in the historic New Zealand Maori Council v Attorney-General case in 1987 that successfully blocked the Fourth Labour Government from alienating land and resources that would be subject to Waitangi Tribunal in transfers to state-owned enterprises.
Court action against partial privatisation of energy SOEs
In 2012 the Council filed an application in the High Court for a judicial review of various Government decisions in an attempt to postpone the Government's mixed ownership model policy of partial privatisation. In an interview in November 2012, spokeswoman Rahui Katene said the Council was confident they would be able to halt the Government's asset sales process.
In December 2012, the High Court ruled against the Māori Council, saying there was nothing in selling the assets to private investors that would prevent future Treaty of Waitangi claims. Council lawyer Donna Hall said the decision wasn't unexpected, but spokesperson Rahui Katene said it was disappointing. Prime Minister John Key described the government's court victory as "crushing".
Māori Community Development Act 1962 review claim
In September 2013, the Council filed a claim with the Waitangi Tribunal over the Government's review of the Māori Community Development Act 1962. The review of the Act was announced in August by then Minister of Māori Affairs, Pita Sharples, and the Council's claim to the Tribunal is that the consultation on the review of the Act is inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Council's argument is that the review of the Act had been Crown-led, which was inappropriate for a Māori body, and that there should have been direct Crown–Maori negotiations from the beginning.
The Waitangi Tribunal is currently investigating the claim, and is due to release its report soon.