Secret report reveals strains in Ngai Tahu relationships

Months of tensions between Ngai Tahu's commercial and political bodies led to the ousting of its holding company leader Wally Stone, a secret report shows.

The "strictly confidential" Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu (Tront) paper, signed by a Tront general manager, Tony Gray, lists strains in the relationship between the tribe and the holding company, Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation (NTHC). The report was seen by The Press yesterday.

Under a heading "Where to from here", it says "change must happen" and that an "urgent decision needs to be taken".

"The chairman of NTHC (Stone) needs to be acquainted with the seriousness of the situation and invited to consider the position of NTHC, its board and of the senior executives," the report says.

"HE should be asked to consider his position and potentially resign."

The report , dated November 10 last year, also says Tront has the "authority to dismiss the chair if this was not done voluntary (sic)".

The 18 members of the Tront board were given the report at the weekend's special meeting, which saw Stone removed as NTHC chairman after an 11 to seven vote behind closed doors.

The Gray report suggests resistance to the planned $52 million Christchurch headquarters and cultural centre may have been a factor in Stone's departure.

The report said there were "continued difficulties with NTHC in obtaining co-operation" on what was a "key project" for Ngai Tahu. The working relationship between Tront and the holding company had been "challenging", it said.

There was a "lack of respect" for Te Runanga from NTHC, which did not appear to "understand" its values or practices.

"Without being exhaustive, I have seen plenty of evidence to demonstrate the inadequate behaviour of the NTHC board and its executives," said Gray, Tront general manager secretarial and group monitoring.

Holding company board papers were "deliberately, in my view" given late to Tront and NTHC continued to "take ideas from office executives and promote them as their own", the report said.

A spokeswoman said Tront would not comment on the report and Ngai Tahu documents were "private communications". Ngati Waewae chairman Francois Tumahai called Stone's dismissal "appalling" and Thomas Kahu, the chairman of Ngai Tahu kaiwhakahaere Mark Solomon's and Stone's own Kaikoura runanga, said it was "gobsmacking".

Stone and Solomon have had a testy relationship, with Stone publicly criticising Solomon in 2007 during a failed attempt by several Ngai Tahu leaders to have Solomon relinquish his position.

Stone, chairman and co-founder of Whale Watch Kaikoura, was appointed to the board of the South Island iwi's investment company in 2006, and had been widely regarded as a success.

He could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Solomon accepted the decision would be controversial.

"There are always personalities in any organisation, there are always politics in any organisation. There are 18 representatives, there are 18 votes, and you can't point it to a personality. I have a vote, I do not have a casting vote, and like everyone I will put my perspective."

He praised Stone but said change was needed.

"I certainly believe that he has cleaned up the holdings corporation and has got it on a very strong platform. We have done well but there are always different directions that you go on as time progresses."

Tront was about to introduce a new set of governance documents and it was felt "a fresh face and a fresh perspective in the chairmanship" would be good, he said. "It would be fair to say that for the last nine years it has more been bottom up than clear directions from Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, and it is time that we did our job properly."

Linda Constable is interim NTHC chairwoman.

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