Governance issues at the Kohanga Reo National Trust are continuing to cause tensions.
Tane Cooke was handpicked by the board to replace ousted member Toni Waho - but at the eleventh hour turned down the appointment, sending plans to refresh the board's governance back to square one.
Mr Cooke declined to comment.
A spokesperson for trust branch Mataatua Tauranga Moana, Lorraine Hale, said the trust deed needed to change so all kohanga members could be part of the selection process.
Education Minister Hekia Parata agreed, saying that to be responsible for the $89 million the trust board administers each year, it should reflect the principles of representativeness, transparency, and accountability.
At present, she said, the trust was none of those things.
The Kohanga Reo National Trust board could not be reached for comment.
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