Marine and Coastal Areas Act and Abuse in State Care Inquiry w Te Pāti Māori's Mariameno Kapi-Kingi: 29th July, 2024

Following the foreshore and seabed controversy of the early 2000s the government introduced a system for Māori to make claims to coastal land.However Māori claimants had to prove they had exclusively used and occupied an area from 1840 to the present day without substantial interruption. 

Last year the court of appeal made a decision that groups only needed to show they had enough control over the area that they could keep others from using it - making it substantially easier for Māori to claim their rightful land. 

But one year on, the government now wants to overturn this, claiming the decision will affect other New Zealanders rights to the land. 

I spoke Te Pāti Māori's Mariameno Kapi-Kingi about the government's backwards move and what it means for Māori. 

We also talked about the recent findings of the Inquiry into Abuse in State Care, and the disproportionate representation of Māori.