Ihumatao protest leader Pania Newton should explain why the land she says was confiscated does not appear on a map of post-1840 government confiscations, Hobson’s Pledge spokesman Don Brash said today.  

That map on the “Confiscation” page of the Government’s Te Ara Encyclopaedia at https://teara.govt.nz/en/zoomify/25776/land-confiscation shows all confiscation areas in the North Island.

Ihumatao, which is to the west of Auckland Airport on the Mangere side of Manukau Harbour, is far away from the confiscation line that extends only to the southern shore of that harbour, Dr Brash said.

“A further question is whether Pania Newton’s family lodged this claim by the deadline of September 1, 2008,” he asked. “If they did, what happened? If they did not, why not?”

A third question concerns the number of full and final treaty settlements that have been made for the Auckland area.

“Was this alleged confiscation included in any of those settlements, or in any settlement that is currently being finalised?” Dr Brash asked.

“If it has been included and if compensation has been paid, what has happened to that compensation?” he said.