Source: Radio New Zealand
The Prime Minister is due to speak to reporters after meeting with the Iwi Chairs Forum, which gave its backing to a court case against a piece of government legislation.
Minister for Māori Crown Relations Tama Potaka said the meeting was “robust” and “interrogative”, but also an “exchange.”
“There needs to be an exchange of ideas, an exchange of investigative queries, but also a sense of optimism and progress, and that’s what we’ve seen [on wednesday].”
Potaka said there were always questions around legislative frameworks and funding.
Christopher Luxon is in Waitangi with a contingent of government ministers ahead of the political pōwhiri taking place on Thursday, which he will attend.
Luxon was keen to talk to the Forum about the weather response and the economy.
Christopher Luxon is in Waitangi with a contingent of government ministers. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
But Iwi leaders are throwing their support behind a Ngāti Manuhiri court case against the government’s amendments to the Marine and Coastal Environments Act.
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith said this issue wasn’t raised directly. In terms of relations between Māori and the Crown, Goldsmith said “we are absolutely positive on opportunities for Māori to thrive and succeed”.
“There’s a lot we agree on, there’s lots of things we disagree on, but there’s plenty that we can work constructively together on, so it’s very positive.”
Prior to the meeting taking place, Pou Tangata chair Rahui Papa said the key message to the government would be what strategies would they employ to bolster Māori aspirations, instead of legislation which “unpicks” te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Afterward, Tukuroirangi Morgan of Waikato-Tainui said it was a “productive” meeting, saying the iwi leaders were at a position where “we need to get stuff done”.
Despite being election year he said, work needed to continue.
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
“And the government needs to be conscious that actually working in a much more strategic way to complete action plans, business plans, all of the stuff that we’ve been talking to them for a long, long time should get done.”
Morgan said the Prime Minister was “very committed” to the Treaty relationship.
“We have to try and find creative ways of working with the government in the face of tough economic times, there are still opportunities, and we need to take those opportunities.”
And Aperahama Edwards of Ngāti Wai called the meeting “beneficial”.
“Some of the sensitive things that needed to be discussed were discussed. Some of the pain points that our people have been experiencing were addressed, at least given voice to, and then other matters were spoken to as well.”
Speaking to the mood at Waitangi compared to the last time Luxon was there in 2024, Edwards said there was still “a lot of pain”.
“Our people are hurting, and we’re mindful of that, but there’s also a calm here as well, and an optimism at the thought of what sort of change might be coming.”
Te Arataura chairperson Tukuroirangi Morgan with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. RNZ/Calvin Samuel
Labour, meanwhile, is dealing with the shock resignation of Peeni Henare, who is calling time on his 12-year Parliamentary career.
Henare announced his plans on Tuesday, citing exhaustion and a desire to spend more time focusing on his family and future.
While it was known Henare would not be contesting the Tāmaki Makaurau seat, his announcement he would not be standing at all came in the middle of a joint press conference by the Labour and Green Party leadership.
He told one media platform of his plans before Labour had the chance to put out its own announcement, but Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who initially refused to answer questions about the resignation, denied the announcement had been bungled.
New Zealand First Deputy leader – and a relation of Henare’s – Shane Jones, was now questioning the circumstances around the resignation, and was planning to find out “exactly what has happened”.
As well, local government and diplomatic corps representatives were welcomed onto the Treaty Grounds with a pōwhiri for the Kiingitanga taking place this afternoon.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
