who did the nz company buy land off before selling it to settlers
New Zealand Company The company’s board members included aristocrats, members of Parliament and a prominent magazine publisher, who used their political connections to ceaselessly lobby the British government to achieve its aims. The company indulged in many questionable land purchases from Māori, in many cases reselling land it did not own,[2] and launched elaborate, grandiose and sometimes fraudulent advertising campaigns. It vigorously attacked those it perceived as its opponents—chiefly the British Colonial Office, successive governors of New Zealand, the Church Missionary Society and prominent missionary the Rev. Henry Williams—and it stridently opposed the Treaty of Waitangi, which was an obstacle to the company obtaining the greatest possible amount of New Zealand land at the cheapest price.[3] The company, in turn, was frequently criticised by the Colonial Office and New Zealand Governors for its "trickery" and lies.[4] Missionaries in New Zealand were also critical of the company, fearing its activities would lead to the “conquest and extermination” of Maori inhabitants.