Supermarket giant Countdown has come up against a Māori warden who is objecting to the company's application for a liquor license in Auckland's Herne Bay.
The Auckland District Council's licensing committee will hear the application on Thursday but Countdown is challenging Thomas Henry's right to object.
This is despite Henry being warranted and legislated for alcohol-related harm within the area.
Located in one of Aotearoa's wealthiest suburbs sits the newly established Countdown Herne Bay Metro.
Local resident, as well as leader of New Zealand First, Winston Peters is a long supporter of the New Zealand Māori Wardens.
"They've done marvellous work in terms of law and order and social assistance in the Māori world but also being enormous assistance to the Police."
Peters said the wardens have profound mana, but the mana of the New Zealand Māori Warden is under scrutiny. Countdown is questioning Henry's right to challenge the liquor application at Thursday's hearing.
"This is appalling advice to hear that they don't know who they are and what their standing is," said Peters.
Henry is the warranted Māori Warden for the Tāmaki Makaurau District. He is legislated under the Māori Community Development Act to carry out a number of duties - alcohol-related harm duties being one of them.
"This is what pisses me off. Here is a company from overseas telling us as tangata whenua and we have a right under the Treaty," Henry told Newshub.
He said the aftermath is the biggest problem.
"It's like suicide, I'm sick of going to a park with our kaumatua doing karakia because our young ones are in the tree."
And a newly developed social housing area has been constructed nearby, one of two areas of high socio-economic deprivation.
And within two kilometres of the area, there are already 37 off-licence premises.
"The irony here is back in Australia, they spend all their time on their woke nations approach but when they've come to this country they are not paying attention," Peters said.
Newshub requested an interview with Countdown however it did not want to comment before the hearing.
Auckland Council said Henry's status and right to participate will be decided on Thursday.
