Three Waters and the vexed question of ownership

At the heart of the Three Waters debate is a question that has been contentious since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi - what does ownership really mean and is it the same as rangatiratanga?

Photo by Tobias Keller on Unsplash

My old Maori Studies lecturer, Dr Ranginui Walker described it as the “abyss of meaning” when considering the English and Maori versions of the Treaty of Waitangi - newly constructed words that were attempting to encapsulate old, and in some cases, nebulous, concepts. At the heart of the Treaty debate is rangatiratanga…