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It is widely accepted by those who follow such matters that the Waitangi Tribunal has become wildly activist.
\\nIt is now, without question, a brilliant example of a decent idea gone horribly awry.
\\nAs Anthony Albanese struggles to drum up support for his voice vote, which will almost certainly fail, he has looked here. In fact, many people have looked to New Zealand and our attempts over what now is many decades to rectify past wrongs.
\\nIronically, history increasingly shows the Government\'s that have made the most progress have been National ones.
\\nChris Finlayson of late and Doug Graham before him made major inroads into settlements, whereas the current Labour Government, like so much of what they do, amounts to little.
\\nSpeaking of little - Andrew Little, who is in charge of treaty matters, admits as much.
\\nAnyway, the tribunal in their latest report tells the Crown off for not funding M\\u0101ori adequately so they can make their claims.
\\nWhat makes the tribunal so activist is this sort of statement and the thinking behind it is par for the course. What is adequate?
\\nAnd given the system is invented, you have always needed a quid pro quo approach. What is a just settlement? Is it money, is it an apology, is it land or is it all three?
\\nEvery case is individual.
\\nBut somewhere along the way it\'s spiralled out of control. It\'s become an industry as individual lawyers have made millions. The tribunal seems intent on being here forever dealing with historic claims despite, if you remember, under Jim Bolger\'s Government there was an attempt to put a timeline on it all.
\\nThat logic, by the way, still applies given its not far off 50-years-old. Surely at some point the historic claims should be registered and settled. Just how long do you need to want to rectify something you argue went wrong over 180 years ago?
\\nHow many lawyers, how much research, how much funding?
\\nThe path to ratification has been open since the mid 70\'s and we are still scrapping over funding for claims. Surely boundaries have to be drawn and timelines have to be put in place?
\\nPart of the reason the voice vote will fail in Australia is not because it\'s not the right thing to do, but because Albanese hasn\\u2019t explained properly what he is trying to do.
\\nBut also, if you look over here at a model of how to do it, it would put the frighteners up you.
\\nGood intention is one thing.
\\nA runaway train is another.
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