Candidates share their vision for Ngati porou iwi

Ngati Porou are going to the polls to elect 14 representatives for their collective interests and to make decisions about the tribe’s $200 million asset base.

To aid the democratic process, The Gisborne Herald and Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou have provided this opportunity for the 38 candidates to share their vision for the iwi.

This Election Special has been run independently by The Herald and is funded by TRONPnui. Each candidate for the runanganui board was asked to compose a profile article, of no more than 700 words, to introduce themselves and to also answer the following questions posed by The Gisborne Herald:

1. What is the best way to share the wealth now within Ngati Porou for generations to come?
2. What do you think is the most pressing issue for the iwi and what do you want to see done about it?
3. What changes would you like to see in the type and level of investments being made by the runanganui for the social, economic, cultural and environmental wellbeing of Ngati Porou?
4. How would you like to see the runanganui develop its relationships across hapu, Crown and strategic partners?

This is the second runanganui election since the iwi’s historic 2010 settlement with the Crown.

Ngati Porou are the country’s second largest iwi with about 90,000 members, mostly dispersed around Aotearoa/New Zealand and the world.

For the purpose of the election, iwi members nominate the Rohenga Tipuna (hapu and marae clusters based on shared whakapapa) they will vote or stand in. Each rohenga has two representatives on the TRONPnui board.

Voting runs over a month, from the mailout of voting packs at the start of this week through to October 14.

The decisions made at the board table over the next four years will have an intergenerational impact on Ngati Porou, and the role the Iwi has at a regional and national level. This is the key opportunity Ngati Porou have to  exercise their tribal democratic right to decide who are the best people, with the best skills to make the best decisions on their behalf.

What will the future look like for your mokopuna? Have your say by voting in the 2015 TRONPnui elections.

To read about the candidates vision for Ngati Porou Click here or on the image below to view.