Things do not change, we do

It’s official – there are ten new faces on the Te Runanga o Ngati Awa board including a stalwart of Maori politics and a former staff member.

Results for the TRONA board elections were released last week however chief executive Enid Ratahi-Pryor ruled the results to be confidential until published in the Beacon today.

I can, now, confirm that the results are as follows:

Hakahaka Hona beat incumbent Hone Stipich by ten votes for the Tamaki Makaurau. At Ngati Hokopu ki Te Hokowhitua A Tu Te Rahui Maanu Paul took the seat held by Tani Wharewera by 25 votes.  Dayle Hunia (nee Fenton) won over Charles Bluett at Ngati Hokopu ki Wairaka by 49 votes. Keld Hunia beat off stiff competition from Cheryl Wilson, Tamaku Paul and incumbent Patrick Salmon for the Ngai Tamaoki seat, with a total of 119 votes lodged. And at Taiwhakaea Manu Tarau beat Jo Harawira and Georgina Maxwell.

According to Returning Officer Warwick Lampp the voter return was 27.49%, being 641 votes cast from 2,332 eligible electors of which 16.22% voted by internet and 83.78% voted by post.

Previously five seats had already changed with Serenah Nicholson now representing Ngati Awa ki Poneke, Tuwhakairiora (Conn) O’Brien at Te Pahipoto, Marcia Wahopango at Te Patuwai, Paul Quinn at Ngai Tamapare and Alfred Morrison at Ngai Tamawera.

So that makes ten changes to the 22-person board. The only unknown factor at the moment is whether Steffan Haua will be able to reclaim his seat for Maumoana.

Mr Haua failed to get his registration form in on time and legal advice is being sought about the situation. It is understood that a precedent has been set in the past when John Simpson failed to submit his registration papers on time and was not able to reclaim his seat.

Meanwhile, the new board will meet after it is ratified at the annual general meeting later this year and there are some who are eager to get to work.

Mr Quinn, who was the only person to stand at Ngai Tamapare , said he believed he had the necessary business experience.

“My main reason for standing was because the whanua wanted me to – the view was that given my extensive business and governance background coupled with the institutional knowledge I have on the establishment of the current Runanga and its various associated organisations, including Ngati Awa Group Holdings Limited and Ngati Awa Asset Holdings Limited, I had the necessary skills to contribute to the proper role the Runanga board should play.

“Given the fact that I am now spending more time in Whakatane I am available to contribute. I look forward to contributing to advancing the mana of Ngati Awa.”

Last year, Mr Quinn was set to take a position on the tribe’s financial arm, Ngati Awa Group Holdings Limited (NAGHL). Directors on NAGHL are required to stand down every three years and a rotating system is employed.

Two positions were advertised and Mr Quinn applied for one. At a TRONA board meeting last year, Mr Quinn’s application was deemed successful however at the Annual General Meeting held less than a month later it was announced that Joe Mason and Brian Tunui were the new directors.

Mr Quinn’s presence is likely to cause a bit of stir when the new board meets as is Maori Council chairman Maanu Paul.

I had organised to talk to Mr Paul about why he stood and what he hopes to achieve over the next year, however he has had to attend a tangi and has been unavailable.

And then there is my own hapu, Ngati Hokopu ki Wairaka.

I asked new member Dayle Fenton why she stood.

“I stood for the position because I believe that a collective, rather than individual leadership approach is key to the successful governance of the Runanga.  This collective approach is based on the principle that the primary role of the Rūnanga is to support the aspirations of our hapū. I see my delegate role as being a Kaitiaki of those aspirations.”

And she was very clear, when asked what she hoped to achieve in the next year.

“The Board must be able to clearly articulate the strategic direction so that management can follow.   As the Ngati Hokopu delegate, I intend to focus on exploring and capturing opportunities while maintaining alignment with the key areas of strategy, finance and risk.

“I think that the Board needs to review our structures - are they working for us or against us?”

And the most interestingly was when I asked her about voter turn-out.

“The voter turn-out was, and has always been, disappointing but I think that voter apathy is only part of the picture. I suspect that the majority of our people are disengaged from the Runanga and so better communication strategies are required including the use of IT (website and facebook) especially for those that live outside of the rohe.

“One way of ensuring better engagement would be to host alternative Runanga hui between Whakatane and Rangitaiki marae – this is not a new idea and is worthy of consideration by the Board.  I think that the Board needs to provide the platform for “korero that matters”.  Our marae are central to hapū well-being and should be utilised at every possible opportunity by the Runanga.”

I think she has got a point and that is why I will continue to write this blog.

There are plenty of naysayers out there but I think ten changes to the board and more than 25,000 hits since the inception of Tu Mai Te Toki are indications that people are reading this blog.  

I have always said it – my role is not to make decisions but to provide the information that I acquire so that you are able to form your own opinions, what you choose to do with it is up to you.

Incidentally, a position on NAGHL is up for grabs this year. Waaka Vercoe will reapply for it but if you think you have got the skills then get your application in because we need you.

Asking the hard questions

The man who forced Te Runanga o Ngati Awa (TRONA) to develop a policy to deal with conflicts of interest could stand to personally benefit from another contract between the tribal organisation and a private company.

Despite his role in the carbon credit contract debacle, Graham Pryor remains a director of the tribe’s financial arm, Ngati Awa Group Holdings Ltd (NAGHL).

In 2010, Mr Pryor, with NAGHL chairman Wira Gardiner, executed a $3.8 million contract with the CO2 New Zealand Management Company.

At the time Mr Pryor was a director of the CO2 New Zealand Management Company.

Sir Gardiner says Pryor did not become a director of NAGHL until after the contract with CO2 New Zealand Management Company was instigated. However a report from the NAGHL Audit committee says Mr Pryor was the one who received crucial legal advice on behalf of the tribal company.

Also identified in the audit committee report was that Mr Pryor had failed to disclose the potential conflict of interest and, more seriously, there was no policy to demand it.

Mr Pryor and Sir Gardiner had also executed the contract without prior approval from the rest of the NAGHL board.

At a meeting earlier this year Sir Gardiner said he had required Mr Pryor to resign as a director of the CO2 New Zealand Management Company when he became aware of the potential conflict of interest.
 

The TRONA board accepted Sir Gardiner’s explanation and no disciplinary action was taken but a conflict of interest policy was implemented.

Now a strategic document presented by NAGHL at the TRONA board meeting in August shows that once again Mr Pryor is a director of a company that has a contract with Ngati Awa through NAGHL.

The Strategic Documents 2013-2018 states: “The Mataatua Fisheries Collective is an unincorporated joint venture between iwi in the Mataatua to lease fish quota to maximise returns. The collective pays Mataatua Quota ACE Holdings Limited a commission to undertake the leasing on its behalf.”

Mr Pryor is listed as a director of Mataatua Quota ACE Holdings Limited on the Companies Office website.

According to the website Ngati Awa, Ngai Tai, Ngati Whare, Ngai Te Rangi, Ngati Manawa and Whakatohea have a 16 per cent share each in Mataatua Quota ACE Holdings Limited. The remaining shareholding of 4 per cent belongs to an Opotiki accountants, in a trust account.

Mr Pryor declares his interest in Mataatua Quota ACE Holdings in the NAGHL Strategic Documents 2013-2018 as is dictated by the TRONA conflict of interest policy.

But I cannot help but feel a little uneasy because while the interest has been declared, on the face of things, it still looks as though Mr Pryor is able to gain contracts for his other companies because he of his position on the NAGHL board. 

So I sent an email to Sir Gardiner and NAGHL chief executive Enid Ratahi-Pryor.

The email reads:

Tena korua,

I am writing a post for the Tu Mai Te Toki blog around the Ngati Awa Group Holdings Ltd Strategic Documents 2013-2018 and I have a few questions that I am seeking the answers to. I intend to publish the blog post on Saturday morning and would really appreciate a response so that I am able to present a fair outline.

The questions are as follow:

-          You say in NAGHL’s strategic documents 2013-2018: “Whilst some under-performed the majority did very well, contributing to the growth in the value of Ngati Awa commercial base by 43 per cent.” Could you please explain how the value of Ngati Awa’s commercial base has risen by 43 per cent?

-          You also in NAGHL’s strategic documents 2013-2018: “The strategic direction requires a commercial infrastructure with the capacity and capability to deliver the goals and objectives outlined within this document. The Board is reviewing its current infrastructure and has already made changes to ensure that Ngati Awa Group Holdings is fit for purpose and capable of meeting shareholder expectations over the next five to 10 years.” Could you please outline the changes that have already been made?

-          Are there any concerns that Graham Pryor is a director of NAGHL and also Mataatua Quota ACE Holdings Limited?

Nga mihi

 

Unfortunately, I did not get a response and I am left feeling a little bit disheartened by this.

Coincidentally, advertisements were placed in the Whakatane Beacon this week calling for registrations of interest for one director position to NAGHL.

Previously, and according to the Strategic Documents 2013-2018, the NAGHL board was made up of Sir Gardiner, Mr Pryor, Joe Mason, Brian Tunui and Waaka Vercoe.

I do not know who is standing down but here is the thing - Ngati Awa is in the hole and, now more than ever, we need strong leaders.

We need leaders with vision and tenacity who are not afraid to speak up. We need leaders who are going to do their best for all of their people and make good decisions. We need leaders who are dynamic and are going to grow the tribe so that we can achieve the big picture – the vision we all shared in Ko Ngati Te Toki.

We need leaders who are going to lead us.

And as you are all aware the election process is underway.

So far there have been five changes to the board with Serenah Nicholson representing Ngati Awa ki Poneke, Tuwhakairiora (Conn) O’Brien at Te Pahipoto, Marcia Wahopango at Te Patuwai, Paul Quinn at Ngai Tamapare and Alfred Morrison at Ngai Tamawera.

As well, there are elections within Ngati Hokopu ki Wairaka, Ngati Hokopu ki Hokowhitu, Ngati Awa ki Tamaki Makaurau, Ngai Taiwhakaea and Ngai Tamaoki.

It is great there have been discussions in many of the whanau about who could be and should be their hapu representative on the TRONA board. Equally it is fantastic that there are so many people who feel they have something to give the iwi and we should be proud that we have plenty of aspiring leaders.

But we must always remember that it is not simply good enough to assume the position without taking responsibility.

You are there to represent the people and your responsibility is to them.

Next time I want to explore the Strategic Documents 2013-2018 a little more. I will try and not leave the next post for too long this time.

Ma te wa.

A time for change

Kia ora koutou,

Firstly sorry that it has been awhile since my last post but sometimes life just gets in the way, particularly in the middle of winter.

Hei aha, I have finally found some space and I wanted to use this post to discuss the role of the Te Runanga o Ngati Awa (TRONA) board representative.

I believe, with the upcoming election, it is important that we all understand the responsibilities of the board. After all, we are the power behind them.

To start I would like to discuss the most recent TRONA board meeting, which  was held two weeks ago, to highlight a particular issue.

The point I would like to concentrate on was the passing of a resolution to increase the dividend paid to the runanga by the tribe’s financial arm.

Since its inception Ngati Awa Group Holdings has paid the runanga $1.5 million each year so that social initiatives can be provided to tribal members.

Chief financial officer Murray Haines said NAGHL was set to record a net cash surplus of $2.2m this year.

He noted key performers were Ngati Awa Asset Holdings with $6 million in shares, Ngati Awa Forest Ltd with $1.1m and Tumurau’s year-end profit of $630,000.

“That provides plenty of room to pay the $1.5 million to the runanga,” he said.

Following the financial report Ngati Wharepaia representative Materoa Dodd suggested the board could ask the financial arm to increase the dividend paid to the runanga  from $1.5m to $1.8m.

She said the board could discuss whether runanga chairman Te Kei Merito should ask NAGHL chair Wira Gardiner to increase the dividend.

“Or even $2m, given that some of investments are doing so well. It doesn’t hurt to ask.”

The suggestion was discussed and a resolution was put forward to increase the dividend to $1.8m. It was supported by 11 members with Nga Maihi not participating because Rihi Vercoe was standing in for the absent Regina O’Brien and four representatives voted against.

Those who did not support the motion were Joe Mason, Tani Wharewera, Stephen Haua and Manu Glen.

However, according to the tribe’s charter, the board does not have the right to increase the dividend.

“For the avoidance of doubt, and except as expressly provided by this Charter, all companies (including The Company) and other entities within the Ngati Awa Group shall be governed by their respective boards and the role of the runanga in respect of those companies and other entities shall be limited to the exercise of the rights conferred on the Runanga as shareholder, or (as applicable) appointor, and beneficiary of the relevant entity.”

In other words the runanga’s board is responsible for the governance of the organisation. Governance is the act of governing and relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance.

Therefore the board only has the rights to set performance measures and elect members to NAGHL or stand a director down, it cannot make operational decisions.

Except for Stanley Ratahi, who replaced his sister Enid Ratahi-Pryor as the Ngati Hikakino representative when she became chief executive, the board has been in place for three years.

By now they should understand what their role is however the point that this situation raises is most of them don’t.

Mrs Ratahi-Pryor, in her role as chief executive, has organised for several members of the current board to participate in governance training through the business coaching organisation, Icehouse.

However this did not offer me much reassurance and I am left to wonder why it has taken so long to look at the board’s skill.

The board’s term is almost complete and later this year each Ngati Awa hapu will elect a representative to the board.

There is every chance that the current stock could change and it is my firm belief that every hapu should at least discuss the options.

Let us remember that under this current board the organisation has lost at least $5.2 million in failed investments, ensured several redundancies, forced good contributors to leave because they didn’t toe the party line, scaled back the social initiatives offered to tribal members, overspent to the point where cost-cutting has had to become a way of life and developed a culture that can only be described as toxic.

The board may not have made the poor decisions directly but many of them have failed to ensure accountability and transparency. As a board they have not been clear about their expectations, they have had been told who has the power and when performance should have been verified they put their head in the sand instead.

There are those who have done a good job, they will know who they are and will be backed by their people. However there are others who no longer deserve to be there.

Our tribe is in a crisis.

What we need are strong leaders with proven skills who have fresh ideas. Leaders that will hold those who make bad decisions to account and ensure those who are making positive contributions have the support to continue doing so.

If you believe, as I do, that now is the time for change make sure you are registered to vote by going to this webpage and have your say at the elections later this year.

Even better, make a stand for your people and put your hat in the ring to be a hapu representative.

Ma te wa