NGAI TAHU ABOUT TO REAP RETURNS OF TRIBES INVESTMENTS?

It looks like it. We are delighted to read about our tribes future from the NZ Herald.
We are delighted that Mark Solomon keeps presenting all the good financial ideas the tribe has as his own, when in fact the real financial grunt comes from Wally Stone et al new appointments to the Table.

We are delighted that Mark still manages to sound like a complete arrogant prick.

All that aside Maori do have the collective financial grunt to be a force to be reckoned with in the years ahead we have said that for a bloody long time.

Fran has written an illuminating piece on the tribe , and we are not sure if its deliberate or not but you get the impression that Solomon was waving his big swinging todger around while he was being interviewed.

We are also delighted to hear that iwi will be able to invest in the commercial assets of the tribe. However we would have thought that it is more important to tell the people what the tribe is up to before telling the rest of New Zealand and a quick scan of the cuzzies indicates that this is the first they have heard of it. Mind you a few of us were on the muttonbird islands ( and many still are ) doing what Ngai Tahu/Waitaha/ KatiMamoe Maori traditionally do.

But then that says it all really. They are getting on with making their own way in the world while Solomon gets to play around with other peoples money and then forgets to ensure that they at least know what the grand plan is and there is a deep suspicion among many down south that Mark is quick to let people think that he is the brains behind the tribe.

Better communications boys with the people you serve .. please otherwise you just come across as paternalistic twats.

And less of the puff pieces and more accolades for the real financial thinkers behind the strategic direction the tribe is heading.

MAORI TROUGHING DEBUNKED?

We were sent this press release and report that details the shock horror probe details of a big dust up in Tainui.

Seems that the King - -is not just a titular head but has the power to intervene in the management of the tribes fast growing businesses.

The report makes for very interesting reading not just for Tainui but for Ngai Tahu as well. It seems Ngai Tahu's Kaiwhakahaere Mark Solomon is way higher paid than the Tainui leaders.

Begs the question really. Why?

Here is the substantive statement by Tainui.

Naccurate Report Damaging to Tribal Reputation

FINALLY - MAORI LEADERS SEE THE MOA IN THE WHARE

We have been harping on about the crap Maori leaders who do a lot of schmoozing and grooving but bugger all to guide their own people out of the poverty pit.

But two recent pronouncements have given us some hope. One , from Mark Solomon, sounds good and wise , but anything from Mark needs to be considered against the backdrop of his fragile leadership. It has the feel of an orchestrated PR campaign.

However, despite the motivation, it is fantastic that Ngai Tahu's big cheese is finally calling for the tribe to tackle domestic violence. Excellent. Now we expect him to follow with some more unpalatable truths, like too many of the tribe have gang affiliations and he needs to condemn them too. And that poverty is still a big issue.So a good start from Solomon. But now we have heard what he thinks we want to know what he is going to do .

Iif Solomon's admittance, that it was time for Maori to take ownership of the issues that Maori have been trying to blame on everyone else wasn't a big and happy surprise , it was a bigger andhappier surprise when Pita Sharples followed suit.

The story is in the Dom this morning and the headline "Put health before beaches says Sharples" - gives you the picture. We think that this speech is a turning point for the party. It is an acknowledgment of what really matters to the rank and file.

It shows that there are many more things that will change the destiny of Maori than some technical access and ownership to some land that is well used and cared for now.

"For many of my friends they dont even know whats going on with the foreshore and seabed......

But they know whats going on at home when they are hungry.

They know whats going on at home when then havent got jobs....

These are the sorts of things that our people are dealing with day to day and thats why I really would like us to think why we are in parliament.

There were a few good stories in the media this morning but none more important than Sharples telling the Maori Party Conference that the issues of health and crime were far more important to Maori than beaches.

It is the best thing that Sharples has said for a bloody long time. The grievances of old need to be sorted but in terms of priority, diabetes, domestic violence, infanticide, education and drugs merit more effort and attention.

Maori dont need to "own the beaches" to feel better or have a better life. But they do need to own the social problems they are facing collectively and individually.

As two of the more prominent Maori leaders have now put this issue on the the nations paepae

we think that the debate will gain some momentum. Whanau Ora could well be the start. Ad it begs the question - Is this the beginning of the true Maori renaissance?

SHIFTING SANDS IN THE SOUTH

We understand that the power base within Te Runanga O Ngai Tahu has shifted. Mark Solomon, in the past, has been able to count on a 50/50 split - nine members on his side - nine against. His casting vote has always given him the power. There are some new faces at the table now and the numbers have shifted. So Solomon doesn't have the numbers any more.

The next few months are going to prove very challenging for the tribe.

A GREAT DAY....

Finally we have a Prime Minister who can lead a government made up of different parties to find solutions to the most vexing of issues.

The Foreshore and Seabed Act had the potential to divide our nation. It laid waste to decades of Maori support for Labour. It gave birth to the Maori Party.

Key and Finlayson, by working with Maori have devised a plan that meets the aims of all parties and will bring our nation together. It will also cement Maori support for the National Government for some time to come.

Its restores the path for Maori to seek a customary right to land for which they believe they have a legitimate claim , it restores Mana and it protects public access.

We all gasped when we heard the silly demands of Ngai Tahu's Mark Solomon - a few days later we breathed again when it heard the quiet and calm voice of unification and reason of Api Mahuika- a true Ariki.

So now we have an historic deal that unites - born out of a blend of vision and pragmatism that Key , Finlayson and a core of Maori leaders should be proud of.

OH DEAR! POOR NGAI TAHU

We have just been given a heads up on a little crisis that is facing Te Runanga O Ngai Tahu. Apparently someone has leaked details of the payroll. With the public response to troughing MP's it will be interesting to see how this info will be treated by Ngai Tahu rank and file. While we are not really interested on who is earning what ( ok we are) We are keen to see greater light shed on the use of expenses. We would also like to see the same transparency that is now applied to politicians be applied to all Ngai Tahu politicians - those elected representatives sitting around the table and we would also like to see the same transparency applied to all the senior staffers at Te Runanga.

We don't expect them to share that information with the rest of New Zealand but we do expect that the new growing appetite for transparency in our community means that Ngai Tahu beneficiaries will get to see what is happening to their money.

Here is a copy of the letter that has been sent out to all the runanga ( local tribal councils) re the big leak....

Tēnā koutou katoa

In recent hours we have been informed that private employee information has been sent to at least two Papatipu Rūnanga. We understand the information relates to employees across the Te Rūnanga Group and was received anonymously by the two Rūnanga who immediately contacted the Office.

The disclosure of this information has not been authorised and represents a gross breach of confidentiality. The disclosure of this information exposes the Te Rūnanga Group, the person who released it and anyone who passes the information on to potential legal sanctions.

This matter will be fully investigated and in the meantime if you receive any private information relating to Te Rūnanga Group staff members can you please ensure the information is not disclosed or circulated to anyone else and contact Justine Whitaker on ph 021 989 725 immediately.

Nähaku noa nä

Mark Solomon Kaiwhakaere and Anake Goodall Chief Executive Officer

So boys - are you up for some transparency???

SOLOMON AND THE TRUTH ARE STRANGERS

Mark Solomon's bizarre performance on TVNZ's Q and A programme on Sunday sent ripples through Maoridom. He was at a meeting of the leaders on Friday in Auckland but for some reason he seemed to have a totally different view of what was decided. It cold be contended that Solomon lacks the intellectual firepower to articulate some of the complex and elegant resolutions the meeting decided upon.

The following resolutions were passed at the Hui a Iwi convened on the 4th June 2010 to discuss the foreshore and seabed replacement framework.

The attendees at the Hui a Iwi/hapu:

1. Recognise that mana whenua, which includes ownership as understood under tikanga [custom], rests with iwi/hapu who are the kaitiaki [guardians] of their respective rohe moana [coastal area];

2. Strongly support that the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 must be repealed and vesting of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown be revoked;

3. Recognise that the foreshore and seabed is, and must remain, inalienable as that is consistent with tikanga [custom];

4. Accept and affirm that the regime must, in respect of all foreshore and seabed, include the following as principles: a. Explicit recognition of the mana of iwi/hapu as enduring and inalienable; b. Explicit recognition of the partnership of the parties under the Te Tiriti o Waitangi [Treaty of Waitangi].

5. Accept and affirm the following as components of the replacement framework; a. Direct negotiations between the Crown and iwi/hapu, provided that settlements and breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi cannot be relied upon to extinguish rights; b. Access to the courts as a constitutional right.

6. Emphasise that although the Crown proposal does not meet all iwi/hapu concerns about the foreshore and seabed it appears to improve on the position in the 2004 Act.

7. Recognise and acknowledge the iwi leaders working group (ILG) for the work and instructs them to further engage with the Crown, to develop and expand understandings, and further improve the outcomes for iwi/hapu.

8. Encourage the Government to recognise that the positions adopted by this hui of iwi/hapu may require a `longer conversation' between the Crown and iwi/hapu, as recommended by the Waitangi Tribunal and Ministerial Review Panel, and that if a `longer conversation' is pursued that the repeal of the 2004 Act and revocation of Crown ownership of the foreshore and seabed be progressed in the immediate [future].

Instead Solomon went off on a terrible divisive tangent that showed he has not grasped the importance of customary title by bringing the existing foreshore and seabed titles into the debate - we in fact they have little to do with the constitutional argument that has seen Maori denied the rights to prove customary title in court.

It is clear with the " leaking " of the resolutions to the NZ Herald today and Api Mahuika's elegant conversation with Sean Plunket this morning on RNZ that Solomon is very very confused.

Api gave him what is the Maori equivalent of a pat on the head and told to sit down while he quietly told the nation via the media what the Maori leaders were wanting and showing that what they want and what the government is offering are akin.

Ngai Tahu should be ashamed of Solomons divisive and confused play - it is clear he sees himself as the leader of leaders. That shows he has a scant regard for the role of Whakapapa and the Tuakana ( seniority ) role that both Ngati Porou and and Api Mahuika have.

By annointing himself as the leader of leaders Solomon has shamed his people. Her clearly lacks the intellectual grunt, the wisdom and a fundemental understanding of tikanga.

In short the tall blue eyed tama is an embarrassment.

SHAKING THE TREE

We have only been back from the Titi Islands for a week. And we have had quite a bit of traffic.  The Mistressology saga  has proved very popular.


However it is this post that has caused the most angst in a couple of circles. It was on the button. People got very, very angry about it. Some were gobsmacked that we had the good oil on the fact that a couple of tribes had managed to derail a deal which would have seen the end of the Foreshore and Seabed Act.

We will keep you posted. 

TAU STUBS OUT CHANCE OF EARLY DEAL ON FORESHORE AND SEABEDBED

The Kumara vine has been pulsing this  afternoon. Our Maori sources say that a very recent meeting between Iwi and the Prime Minister John Key came perilously close to reaching a conclusion on the Foreshore and Seabed issue.

Apparently it was all good to go until Sonny Tau backed by Mark Solomon presented a set of demands that derailed the deal.  Now, while most Maori see the repeal of the Foreshore and Seabed Act as paving  they way for them to make claims for customary title, there is concern that some tribes ( put Ngai Tahu at the top of the list ) are more interested in using the negotiations to leverage mineral rights.

So the primary issue about Tikanga ( traditional ways)  -  is playing second fiddle to greed.  Principles are the first casualty.

Meanwhile, our Ngai Tahu sources say that Dr Gail Tipa's appointment to Te Runanga O Ngai Tahu board  on behalf of Moeraki means that Solomons support is further eroded. While she does not play personality politics she wont stand for any silliness either. Solomon - is still valiantly trying to hold off the day when his runaka get the chance to vote on his fate.

The rest of the iwi throughout the country  and a fair stack of  Ngai Tahu reckon that the sooner Solomon's reign is brought to an end the better for the tribe and indeed all Maori.

WHY ARE WE WAITING??

We were about to do a round up on the Ngai Tahu elections but Marty Mars has beaten us to it and done all the hard work.

Nothing has happened. Nada - zilch, zero.


The last runanga to get its shit together is that of Mark Solomon.


Its not hard really - you just need to let the people decide...

ANOTHER NEW FACE AT THE TABLE

Tutehounuku ("Nuk") Korako, representing Tuahiwi is the latest new face at Te Runanga O Ngai Tahu.

He's a good bugger..

So - the tide is ever so slowly turning - we got our voting papers for Waihopai the other day.. The papers are to vote for the panel who will make the selection for the candidate. We expect there will be a bit of a tussle for the reps job there as well.

We are still feeling the heat of Ngai Tahus sordid deal over the ETS. The tribe is now seen as elitist, self serving, in the hands of a few power hungry individuals and they don't play nicely with others.

Our inbox is still being filled daily with stuff we cannot publish. However keep it coming. As soon as we have some information verfied we will, make no mistake about it, we will publish.

And we wonder if Mark Solomon will, take his tax paid junket to stand around looking pretty at the Hot Air Fest in Copenhagen..

BACK TO TIKANGA

We have been in Hamilton this weekend - a world away from Wellington and two worlds away from the South Island and Ngai Tahu.

We have had time to take stock and we think we have set out to achieve what we wanted to do - get Ngai Tahu focusing on their leadership and the tribes performance and make people think and act on who they want to represent them - and we have already seen the signals , with the election of Wally Stone and Tahu Potiki, that the people want a change of direction.

We have come under fire for moderating the debate on various posts - its simply because both the supporters of Mark Solomon and his detractors have indulged in some personal mudslinging the likes of which we have never, ever seen before on any issue we have ever run on this blog.

We reckon that we have done a good job of stoking the fires of a very important issue for Ngai Tahu rank and file. We think that we were pretty well known for plain speaking on the Marae so we have taken that approach on this blog. We have done what we have done here on Ngai Tahu issues on Roarprawn, with the help of many from one end of the country to the other. We thank them. For many Ngai Tahu, Roarprawn is not something that ends up in your puku - it a noisy little fish that embeds in your brain and makes you think.

But now it is time for the focus to shift from the virtual marae we have created here to the real one.

It is now the turn of the people, face to face, to sort these issues through.

So until the Hui A Tau which is being held at Oraka Aparima Colac Bay Riverton, on the weekend of the 20-22nd of November is over, we wont mock, prod, slap, dig, cajole, criticise or praise anything or anyone in relation to the elections.

We think that this way everyone can take a breather and think very, very wisely about the best part they can play in the future of the tribe that will serve the best interests of us all.

That sort of talk is best done without heat in quiet rooms.

It's time for all the tribe to turn up to the Hui A Tau and voice their concerns and support for the people they want to lead the tribe.

It is time to take the business back into the House of Tahu for a while. There is going to have to be an orderly transition in leadership - as Ngai Tahu is not just important to its people, it has an important role to play in the South Island economy. Ngai Tahu can also join with other iwi to get the economies of scale required to advance new business ventures to benefit all Maori.

And for those who have contacted us and asked if we are interested in being involved in the elections down home in Awarua, Bluff. Yes and no. We have no interest in standing as a representative. We are fervent devotees of Ahi Kaa. That is - that those who are at home are the best to manage the home affairs. But maybe we will put our hands up to be on the panel to select the local delegate. We will consider that option in due course.

We walked away from active involvement in tribal affairs 10 years ago, when we moved to Wellington, after being heavily engaged in runanga, marae and runanga business and the titi committee. The only tribal business we ever really wanted to be actively involved in was the management of fisheries but that opportunity never came our way.

Many of the skills we learnt at home have stood us in good stead all these years.
We have run our own successful little business without a drop of financial support from anyone, so that has been pretty satisfying.

And its good to look back and see that a lot of what we help initiateback home has survived today. So we look back with some pride. And its those experiences and understanding that has kept us forever interested in tribal politics - albiet at a distance.

So to you , leaders and followers all - it is time to put aside the egos, the family disputes, the jealousies and for humility to reign and for The Table to serve up the feast of social and economic riches for all us to share.

So for now we will stay quiet and concentrate on other things.. Just for a while mind you, just for a while..

CHANGING OF THE GUARD FOR NGAI TAHU?

Could be -- we hear there is a meeting in Christchurch at the Big Green House. ... We will keep you posted.

SOLOMON'S A PUSSY

Who would have believed it ? ( well us for starters....) Mark Solomon is doing all he can to delay the inevitable - reports the NZ Herald today being voted out by his own runanga which means he would not only lose the title of Kaiwhakahaere( chair) but he would also lose his seat at the ruling table.
It is disgraceful that he has not promoted an election and fought it like a man.

Again he has fallen short of what is required of a leader.

We have also considered that the Ngai Tahu voting system is nothing ( sorry mum) but a cluster fuck... It gives too much power to too few for too long.

It has ended up this way because the incumbents will normally be the ones to benefit from confusion..

Hopefully this time round we will have a ruling council we can be proud of.

THE WORDS OF A LEADER

The Herald today covered the ascent of Wally Stone to Te runanga o Ngai Tahu...

His words have a quiet humility about them.

He said senior kaumatua and family had persuaded him to stand. "The thing is I know it's difficult for people. They think, 'If you've been treated badly, why would you go back and do it again?' But your family is your family, and if you're in a position to do something for them you should."

Asked if there was a chance that factionalism could hamstring the board during his three-year term, Mr Stone said that was an outcome no one wanted.

"As long as people park their ego at the door and remind themselves that they are representing the aspirations of the people there shouldn't be a problem."

Yip we agree - egos at the door. Welcome home Wally.

EXCLUSIVE - THE WINDS OF CHANGE ARE BLOWING IN THE SOUTH.

The best news we have had for a week. Wally Stone has been elected as a runanga representative of Ngati Wheke to the Te Runanga O Ngai Tahu ruling council.

Wally , who has the huge respect of the New Zealand business community fell foul of Mark Solomon and left his job as chair of the financial power house of Ngai Tahu empire - Ngai Tahu Holding corp earlier this year.

The last ten years has seen an unstable tribe council riven by bitter personality battles that have spilled into the public arena.

We have been happy to put our hand up and say that Solomon must go.

His reign at the top of the "Table" has not unified the tribe. And his ego has prevented him from making the decision that would have shown integrity - to step aside.

Just recently we came across Solomon in the Wellington Airport - he yelled at us and waved his big Solomon finger in our face. He is obviously no fan of Roarprawn and BustedBlonde and we saw first hand why some people believe he is a bully.

It was not the action of a man of dignity.

But we are not scared of him. Instead we just laughed at him. His finger may be big but his mana is puny.

So the election of Tahu Potiki last week and Wally Stone this week means that we will see a change of direction in our tribes politics. We hope that it will mean that Solomon will finally show some humility and step down.

Our dream team would be Wally Stone at the helm with Tahu Potiki as deputy and to ensure that we dont see anymore swinging dicks, that the role of the chair is more clearly defined on governance and not the semi titular head it appears to have become.

We also want to see some of the people who have built their own businesses and shown strong leadership representing Ngai Tahu on boards and organisations around the country instead of the same old tired faces who have been sychophants of Solomon.

We also want to see Ngai Tahu take the lead and form stronger relationships with other iwi so that we can take advantage of the economies of scale that joint ventures with other tribes can offer.

And we want, apart from issues of commercial sensitivy, utter transparency. No more PR spin glossing up the tribes performance - tell it like it is.

We are well pleased with todays events as every Ngai Tahi beneficiary should be. We firmly believe that together Potiki and Stone have the brains, financial prudence and wise leadership to take the tribe forward. Kia Kaha to you both.

TAHU POTIKI AT THE NGAI TAHU TABLE

We were delighted to hear today that former Ngai Tahu CE Tahu Potiki is to represent Otakau at The Table , the tribes ruling council.

Tahu is an abrasive, arrogant big shit but he does have a good head on his shoulders and the will to see the tribe head in a better direction. He will need to marshall all his best qualities to help turn the ruling council into the governing body the iwi needs to take advantage of its unique position in the South Island economy.

Tahu is set to play an important role in bringing some cohesiveness and good governance to the tribe.
We are hoping for a few more new more representatives to take their places at what will be a pivotal time in the tribes development. This is not a job for one alone. It will require all representatives to work together..

We need leaders who will start the tribe looking forward, not back and bear no grudges, people who will stand the iwi on its collective feet and stop relying on government hand outs to fill the tribal coffers.

We need our leaders to work across Maoridom to give us the economies of scale to take advantage of the opportunities that are on offer.

We want the tribes economic performance based on real asset growth and not on the amount of money it has wheedled out of the government.

We need leaders who give us the real warts and all version of what is happening with our collective business to give us a level of comfort and trust.

We all know that mistakes will be made but we want leaders to tell it like it is.

We, above all, want leaders who make us proud to be Ngai Tahu.

NGAI TAHU RESULT DISAPPOINTING AND LACKING CLARITY

This is the press release on Ngai Tahus result. We have tried to give some clarity to the "spin"

Tribe Well Positioned Despite Volatile Operating Climate

Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu has announced a net surplus of $13.3m for its commercial entities amid a climate of testing global market conditions.

As ever is hard to fathom what the real result is - however on the face of it, Ngai Tahu returned $13m on $513m of assets, or 2.5%. If you'd put the money in the bank at (say 7%) at the start of the year you'd have made just shy of $36m - so for the benefit of having the smart guys in charge we lost $23m.

In an announcement today, Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu Kaiwhakahaere, Mark Solomon, says that the results are pleasing in light of the difficult economic operating climate and reflect the strength of the balance sheet and its underlying assets.

"While the financial picture is not what we would desire, given the environment of the past year I deem our performance is as good as could be expected. We were in the fortunate position of having a strong balance sheet coming into the recession. Our collective tribal assets are strong, we have grown our equity by $13m to $526m, reduced our term debt and have positioned ourselves well to take advantage of growth periods ahead. In addition we generated a cash flow (after distribution) of $25 million from operating activities.

However the issue of distributions and how they work as well as cash flows is unsure given Ngai Tahu's spread of holdings, let alone their valuation basis and taxation advantages. However if we are really kind, let's say they actually "made" $25m (from the group distribution of $22m and debt reduction of $3m) - well you're still short of the risk free rate of $36m as above. Of course that approach would mean there are a bunch of people in Te Wai pounamu house who wouldn't have got paid.....

"I believe the results are a reward for our intergenerational policies and conservative approach to financial investment. While our profits were well down on the previous year, we have still registered a profit and have been able to honour our commitment to Ngai Tahu Whanui. Our different business sectors have performed ahead of many of their competitors in these difficult times."

Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation Chair, Trevor Burt says, "While the past year has been our most challenging yet, the Group delivered a positive result at both the operating profit and net surplus level. The cash flow result of $25 million from operating activities is particularly pleasing.

"These results have largely been achieved due to the commitment and maturity of our team in hitting the challenges head on and making the tough calls that have positioned us well for the future."

And that forex policy looks a ripper

So let's be a bit less generous and say that the expected return from any commercial venture should be as a premium over that risk free rate from the point of view of an investor - the debate then focuses on what that premium should be, ie how high is the risk, and for example an SOE in the international sector might look to have a rate of just over 10% which could be a target for the Seafood company (though I'd suggest nearer 12% would be a minimum) and then the gap on the performance becomes quite stark.

Simply put, the performance of any commercial entity that is subject to political interference will always underperform over the medium to long term.

This sentiment has been echoed by Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu CEO, Anake Goodall,

"Across the board there has been a commitment to work together to ensure the interests of our 45,000 plus stakeholders were protected as much as possible against the impact of the recession. Of particular note, we've managed to reduce expenditure by 11% without damaging the integrity of the underlying programmes and Ngai Tahu Holdings Group reducing our term debt by $3m.

"There is no denying that we have endured some difficult times over the past year but we have learnt from each of our challenges and as a result have reflected and refined our operations to put us in good stead moving forward."

Ngai Tahu Holdings Group Subsidiary Results in brief:

The downturn in the property sector impacted significantly on Ngai Tahu Property with an operating EBIT of $15.6m, a decrease of $3.5m on the previous year.

Ngai Tahu Seafood, while struggling with the volatility in the exchange rate which resulted in exchange rate losses of over $6m, managed to report its best ever underlying trading result, up 12% on the previous year. The result was an operating EBIT of $4.7 million. In response to the foreign exchange issues, a full review of its hedging policy has been undertaken and the necessary measures put in place to avoid a repeat in the future.

The full impact of the global credit crisis hit just prior to the beginning of the peak tourist season creating huge challenges for Ngai Tahu Tourism. However they still managed to deliver a net surplus of $6.4m, (down $2.1m on the previous year) and an operating EBIT ahead of forecast of $5.3m.

Ryman Healthcare continues its long-standing tenure as one of our leading investments and despite the economic environment delivered another strong performance resulting in a 1% increase in share price over June 2008 and dividends of $2.1m.

"While all of our entities have felt the impact of the operating climate, I am proud of how they have responded to the challenges and am confident that with our strong balance sheet we are well positioned for growth when the upturn comes," says Trevor Burt. Ngai Tahu Holdings Group delivered a distribution of just under $22m to Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu.

NGAI TAHU STRUGGLES TO HOLD GOOD STAFF

Another one bites the dust.

In ten years, under the barren leadership of Mark Solomon , Ngai Tahu has had seven Ngai Tahu Holding Corp chairs. Te Runanga O Ngai Tahu has had 3 CEO's and Ngai Tahu Holding Corporation has had three CEO's.

Other iwi are laughing fit to kill as Ngai Tahu picks good people but they dont last the distance so they are quickly picked up by other tribes.

And we have also heard that there is considerable concern among some key iwi about the lack of relationship skills withing the top ranks of Ngai Tahu. There are heaps of opportunities out there for iwi but it requires them to work with other iwi to get the economies of scale needed to capitalise on the deals on offer. One described Ngai Tahu's attidude as " bare faced arrogance."
Another suggested to Roarprawn that the tribe was fast losing mana due to their lack of willingness to forge business relationships.
For Ngai Tahu to succeed it needs to ensure that people who are good at building relationships and have sound financial acumen are sitting around the top table and commanding the boardroom. Never before have the tribal elections been so important to our people. They need to reflect on the fragmented leadership of the past, look to new blood and put aside the deep rooted inter family differences.

Our future depends on it.

Kia ora anō tātou

It is with regret that I announce that Richard Coleman has resigned from his position as Chief Executive Ngāi Tahu Seafood (Acting).
Richard has a long history working for Ngāi Tahu. In January 1995 he was appointed as Accountant / Operations Manager for the joint venture, Ngāi Tahu Pacific Fisheries. When the JV was wound up in 1997, Richard joined Ngāi Tahu Seafood and in September 2005, he moved to Ngāi Tahu Holdings as Investment Manager.
Since June 2008, Richard has been Acting Chief Executive of Ngāi Tahu Seafood and brought his usual exceptional passion and commitment to that role. He has led a range of diverse and challenging initiatives with very pleasing outcomes for the business including a revised strategic direction; a new wetfish business model; a supply chain review resulting in recognition as a premium lobster supplier to the export markets; acceptance into the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Beachheads programme; comprehensive systems to manage compliance and H&S risks; and a succession plan in the Bluff lobster fishery allowing young Ngāi Tahu fishers the opportunity to build successful businesses and become the next generation of experienced lobster fishers.
In addition to these achievements and of particular note is that NTS (in tough economic times) recorded its highest trading EBIT, since its inception, in the 2008-09 financial year under Richard's leadership.
Richard's strong leadership and hard work over the past 15 months sees us very well positioned for financial success, wealth creation and growth as we embark on the next exciting stage in the development of the Ngāi Tahu Seafood business.
I'd like to acknowledge Richard's significant contribution to Ngāi Tahu over the last 15 years and wish him, his wife Kate and his three children, all the very best in their next adventure. Richard has always been held in high respect by anyone who has worked with him and he will be hugely missed by all. His last day of work will be 31 January 2010 and closer to that date we will announce details of his poroporoaki.

Trevor Burt
Chair
Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation

THE GREAT PRETENDER

Our mate David Farrar has been having a nosebag courtesy of Ngai Tahu. He told me in passing earlier this week that he was a guest of the PR firm that Mark Solomon hires to write all his stuff at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce celeb breakfast this week.

Its a common enough ploy of PR people to invite influential people to enjoy their hospitality. Been there and done that.

I think I suggested to David that he was dining with Ngai Tahu's spinners far too often and they were wanting to take advantage of his position as a serious media influencer. I think I was pretty rude ( actually I was ) but he took it in good grace. My position on Solomon is well documented and David accepts my right to have a differing opinion. I like that in a person.

I think, for the sake of the tribe that Solomon must go.

However it appears for a plate of Bacon and Eggs with some OJ on the side, David has succumbed yet again to the web that was woven by Team Solomon and is happy to sing the praises of Mark.

Its a shame really. A shame that better analysis and probing is not applied to the Ngai Tahu machine.

Solomon is like Helen Clark - he has past his Use By Date. Only difference is Clark was the brains behind the speeches and policy she made.

Solomon, on the other hand relies on the wit and wisdom of others. That does not an inspiring leader make.