Bishop Steve calls for Mediation Hui, Sat 22nd April 2017

Bishop Steve Lowe, Patron of Papa o Te Aroha Marae has called for a mediation hui to be held at the Marae on Saturday 22nd April 2017 from 1pm to 5pm. We encourage all those who continue to support this petition to get to the hui on Saturday 22nd April to hear the discussions and have your say. This committee have continued to show an absolute disregard for anyone with legitimate complaints and need to be stopped from causing further harm to such a special taonga. The following is the letter that Bishop Steve sent to those directly involved in this matter, we provide here for your information, and look forward to seeing you at the hui if you can make it. 28 March 2017 Tēnā koutou Tokoroa Catholic Maori Society and Papa O Te Aroha Marae Kia tau te rangimārie ki a koutou Firstly, may I express my apologies at not being able to attend the AGM of the Tokoroa Catholic Maori Society. As patron of the Society I had wanted to attend as you considered momentous decisions impacting on the Society and Papa O Te Aroha Marae. I understand the AGM was not an easy one. After the meeting I was approached, as patron, by some who attended the meeting expressing concerns about the processes that led to the decisions taken. I was specifically asked to seek legal advice as to whether action can be taken in regards to those decisions. The summary of my legal counsel’s advice to the Hamilton Diocese is as follows (with my own emphasis): (a) The members of the TCMS who are dissatisfied with the actions/conduct of the Committee of the TCMS are the appropriate parties to challenge the actions/conduct of the Committee; (b) Based on the information provided, if the dissatisfied members can prove the allegations that have been made to the necessary legal standard they can challenge the actions/conduct of the Committee of the TCMS through the Courts and/or request an investigation by the Attorney-General into the affairs of the TCMS ; (c) If the allegations are proved the Court has various powers including declaring that decisions/resolutions of the TCMS are invalid and of no legal effect and removing members of the Committee; (d) It is not, in our view, an appropriate course of action for the Hamilton Diocese to effectively take sides in the dispute and become directly involved in any legal proceedings or any request for an investigation by the Attorney-General into the affairs of the TCMS; (e) It is, in our view, an appropriate course of action for Bishop Steve to encourage the parties to resolve the disputes within the TCMS by facilitation/mediation and, if the parties agree, for Bishop Steve as Patron of the TCMS to nominate an independent and neutral person to be appointed by the parties as a facilitator/mediator. It is my thought that neither group will want to go down the legal path. This will be expensive and not in anyone’s best interest. As the patron I write to and implore all interested parties to be part of a hui to engage in a mediation process, such as was agreed to at the AGM. Accordingly I would like to suggest that a special hui of all parties is called to meet under an independent Chair, namely Maanu Paul (as was agreed to at the AGM), in the wharenui on the marae on Saturday 22nd April from 1 pm to 5 pm. It would be my intention to be accompanied by a legal adviser as we seek to resolve the matter in a manner where everyone is heard and reconciled and no legal action needs to be taken. If you agree to this I will ask Maanu Paul to prepare an agenda which will be circulated with the notice to call the hui. He mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa me te whakaaro o te Matua Nui ki a koutou katoa ✠ Steve Lowe BISHOP OF HAMILTON