Buddy Mikaere is at it again with colonisation nonsense. The legitimate version of the Treaty (Maori) has only three articles and contains no fabricated ‘principles' and is very straightforward.

Nowhere in the Treaty is there any duty placed on Government to consult with Maori/iwi nor is the Rena issue one for the Waitangi Tribunal, which is so disfunctional in my view it should not be determining anything.

Seemingly main drivers of this nonsense are Motiti interests, largely unaffected by the Rena, although it seems residents were able to pluck $360,000 out of the insurance pool.

A brief history of Motiti: before World War II several hundred Maori had lived on Maori land which had a school, hall and store. The other half having been sold off to settlers in 1850.

The most recent significant sale of non-Maori land was in 1979, when effectively no Maori lived permanently on Motiti and the only permanent resident was the non-Maori landowner's farm manager.

The Maori land was poorly tended and still is today.

Motiti effectively has no beaches, only a few small bays.

As to the Rena staying on the reef, it should remain there unless there are scientific environmental or safety issues - and that will be determined by independent environmental commissioners. Iwi have no greater rights or say than all other Kiwis in the area.

R Paterson, Matapihi.