Settlements not enough? How Greedy!

Some people say the settlements that Maori are getting are only a shadow of what they should be receiving.

For instance, Ngai Tahu spokespeople continue to say they "lost" $12- billion worth of assets and accepted as a compensation $170-million.

But Ngai Tahu forebears sold most of the 15,121,483 hectare South Island in 10 deals over 20 years from 1844 for a total of ₤14,750.

Fewer than 2000 Ngai Tahu lived mostly south of the Waitaki River, according to a census in 1844.

SO a group of tribespeople that could probably fit into a large high school's assembly hall managed to assert ownership over most of the SOuth Island, much of which they had never seen let alone set foot upon it.

The payments appeared to be satisfactory at the time because this group of people kept doing these deals for 20 years.

The land that they exchanged for ₤14,750, which is $1.6-million in today's dollars, was minus forest cover burnt off by earlier generations to flush out game. There were no towns, roads, farms. There was no development whatsoever.

The land started to grow in value as settlers invested capital and labour, developing farms, building roads, towns, industry, schools, hospitals.

Ngai Tahu's successful assertion of ownership over such a large area was controversial at the time, and Henry Tacy Kemp, who negotiated the Kemp sale and purchase, was sacked for accepting that Ngai Tahu "owned" such a large area.

To claim further payments for an arms-length transaction in which both parties were happy because the purchaser increased the value of the land he or she bought by investing capital and labour does not succeed in the real world.

The only people who get away with this are shysters who pretend to be tribes who cry poverty and claim the wicked white coloniser done them wrong.

Ngai Tahu's claim that they they "lost" $12-billion worth of assets and accepted compensation of $170-million, is like saying you sold a house for $250,000 10 years ago and see that it is now worth $500,000 and demanding compensation for the difference in value.

No homeowner is compensated for the increased value of properties they once owned. Why should tribes be compensated?

It gets worse. Not only to the shysters continue to claim top-ups for the increasing value of assets they once claimed to own, they forget they once sold it and repeat the lie that the wicked white coloniser stolen the land from them.

Worse still, idiots in government who appear unable to think this issue through, and won't even look at government records of the transactions, keep giving money, assets, and favours to these so-called tribes who cry poverty and say the wicked white coloniser done them wrong.

This process is a toxic mix of greed, dishonesty, and stupidity.

Anyone who thinks settlements that Maori are getting are only a shadow of what they should be receiving, is either ignorant or lying.