New Plymouth District Councillor Dinnie Moeahu. Photo: Supplied / NPDC
A New Plymouth District Councillor says he felt treated with "disdain" and "contempt" at a meeting where the regional council voted against submitting on the Treaty Principles Bill.
An internal review has found there was agreement among councillors ahead of the December meeting to oppose making a submission on the bill and to curtail debate.
It found the decision-making process inconsistent with standing orders, meeting protocols and broader principles of good governance, transparency and natural justice.
The review said the consequences of the meeting were "severe", damaging the council's reputation, and resulted in a loss of trust and confidence from iwi partners.
Dinnie Moeahu said his pre-approved deputation - a presentation given ahead of the meeting proper on an item in the agenda - was shut down.
"The agenda item was made public for anybody to consider and I actually thought how they treated me was with disdain and contempt for me just wanting to speak.
"As I was getting up to speak, a number of councillors decided that wasn't appropriate.
"I felt like there was some clear bullying tactics from three elected members with regards to even having me speak and essentially I was shut down initially."
Moeahu was later invited to speak when the agenda item was called up and gave the talk he intended.
But when former council chair Charlotte Littlewood called for debate on the submission deputy chair and nine term veteran, Neil Walker, told council the bill was political and divisive and the TRC should leave it to Parliament to sort out.
Councillor Donald McIntyre promptly moved a motion, seconded by Walker, not to send the submission or debate it, which was won.
Moeahu was left gobsmacked.
"As you can read in the report that pre-determination and collusion that happened beforehand those elected members executed that superbly on the day which caught everybody off guard.
He couldn't believe the behaviour of the regional councillors.
"They are put in there to serve and what's highlighted in the report is their failure to understand their role as elected members.
"They have statutory obligations to Māori and they say in their long term plan one of their objectives is to strengthen their relationship with Māori ... and they just shut it down with no discussion."
Moeahu said he hoped recommendations in the review - which included that councillors receive training on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its application to council work - would improve behaviour in the future.
Taranaki Regional Councillor Neil Walker. Photo: Taranaki Daily News
Walker hoped the review would put to an end to a messy eight month investigation.
He conceded he didn't want the TRC to send a submission, but said the decision was not pre-determined.
But Walker thought any suggestion of collusion was a bit harsh.
"There would be occasion when we see our colleagues around council and out socially, and people have views and they just share them back and forth.
"I don't consider that colluding, but we recognise that there were people who were upset and it's time to put the matter to bed.
"As for colluding, that's a strong term. I think counsellors always talk about all sorts of things and you'd expect us to do that, wouldn't you?"
Walker said the TRC wanted to work with Māori and if people were unhappy with the way things were done he was sorry for that.
"I certainly didn't support Mr Seymour's bill. I never have and we now are in a position where that bill never went anywhere, and I'm pleased it didn't."
Walker said he was open to doing some professional development on Te Tiriti o Waitangi as councillors did at the start of every new term.
TRC chair Craig Williamson said there was no doubt the controversy had set back council-iwi relations.
"It's been very damaging and it's set us back years in our relationship building and through the Treaty settlements we have to by law work closely with our iwi partners on just about everything we do."
Williamson said he was relatively new to the role and had been working hard to rebuild relationships.
"I think that the future is going to look a lot brighter than it did back in December."
He said councillors had been caught off guard by how the meeting turned.
"I'd never seen that particular motion used before where a debate can be quashed. I wasn't expecting it.
"So, we're looking at something where if a meeting does get out of hand and everything gets a bit flustered, so to speak. Then we could take a break, have a cup of tea."
Williamson said recommendations in the review offered an opportunity for councillors to learn from their mistakes.
"When I first stepped into the role as a councillor, there was no induction for me. I turned up to a meeting and that was the start of it.
"So, I think it's really important that there is an induction conducted for all councillors, which is inclusive and thorough and everybody gets a good grip on the role that they've been elected to."
Councillors will consider the review and whether to adopt its recommendations on 5 August.
Dinnie Moeahu was due to speak at that meeting.
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