Weeds need pulling in the Far North, if Donna wants to do something about climate change

While Shane Jones was filling Point of Order’s email in-tray with a flurry of handout announcements, the grandly titled Māori Climate Commissioner was bleating about  Māori and their land being inadequately treated in the formulation of climate change policy.

“Māori Climate Commissioner” is a title which rings with Wellington and officialdom.

Actually it is the creation of a private carbon trading operation called the Māori Carbon Foundation, an organisation  which says it offers

… carbon planting solutions to all landowners, and we are particularly excited about the economic and social benefits that are offered to Māori landowners from participating in the MCF planting programme

But when its Māori Climate Commissioner criticised the Minister for Climate Change and his Interim Climate Change Committee for “treating Māori concerns in a superficial fashion”, the dust had not yet settled on the matter of 1 million or so seedlings bought to plant in Northland to kick off the One Billion Trees programme.

A Māori trust and Māori land loomed large in the story.