Christopher Luxon said there was good conversation about a Treaty Principles Bill, and iwi leaders raised several issues. Photo: Anneke Smith/RNZ
A meeting between the coalition government and iwi leaders was positive, constructive and very direct, the Prime Minister says.
Christopher Luxon, alongside ACT's David Seymour and New Zealand First's Shane Jones, met with the leaders of more than 74 iwi at a closed hui in Kerikeri on Friday.
Speaking to media afterwards, Luxon said there was good conversation about a Treaty Principles Bill, and iwi leaders raised several issues.
Luxon insisted there was no intention to take the bill beyond the first reading, as part of the coalition agreement.
He said differences of opinion were acknowledged but overall there was goodwill on both sides.
Iwi leaders and government would not agree on everything, Luxon said, but both parties were already thinking about how they could work together.
One example was fast-track consenting.
"So rest assured ... don't just react to the language you may have seen about fast-track consenting. The reality is we are going to uphold Treaty settlements and that's not at risk here. But we do need to find a way to build more infrastructure across this country, get water storage happening up here, to get better roading, so we can improve prosperity for everybody."
He said another example was how poor rates of school attendance among Māori children was the responsibility of both iwi and the government.
Government ministers welcomed to the Iwi Chairs Forum in Kerikeri on 2 February 2024. Photo: RNZ / Pokere Paewai
Meanwhile, Minister for Maori-Crown Relations Tama Potaka doubled down on calling Seymour the Crown's representative from Ngāti Rēhia during the opening remarks of the hui, which media were able to observe.
Potaka spoke for the government.
His comments about Seymour did not impress kaumātua Kipa Munro, who stood to interrupt him, telling the crowd that whatever Māori think of Seymour or his policies, he was still a Ngāti Rēhia descendant.
Potaka denied he got it wrong, insisting he was following pōwhiri protocol.
