12.00pm
A National government would not accept any new Treaty of Waitangi claims after the end of next year and would settle existing claims by 2008, says party leader Bill English.
Releasing National's treaty policy today, he said that wherever he went in the country people wanted to see progress and unity, not delay and diversity.
"I want this nation to be proud of all its history, not tired of hearing about it," he said.
"National wants to settle historical claims fairly and quickly so New Zealanders can focus on an ambitious future."
Mr English accused the Government of burying the issue with bureaucracy and incompetence.
"The prime minister has failed to show any leadership or determination. The result is no progress and resentment among claimants and the general public," he said.
"A National government will require all historic Treaty of Waitangi claims to be filed with the Waitangi Tribunal by December 31, 2003. We will also lead and commit to the settlement of historic claims under the Treaty of Waitangi by 2008."
Mr English said National would close down the Office of Treaty Settlements as the primary negotiating arm of government and establish a chief negotiator for treaty settlements.
"We will affirm and honour previous treaty settlements as full and final settlements. National will ensure public access and use when recognising the special relationship and interest of Maori in rivers, lakes and natural resources that are subject to historic claims."
He challenged Prime Minister Helen Clark to a public debate on treaty claims because, he said, she needed to explain to the public why the Government was "dithering" over them.
Mr English said settling all the claims by 2008 was "a bold commitment" which set a clear goal.
"There's a growing view among Maori that it's time to get the job done," he said.
"The way things are going it will take 25 years ... the public don't want to wait that long."
He said the cut-off date for claims, and the settlement date, was a challenge to claimants and put a strong expectation on them to sort out problems over who was mandated to negotiate with the Crown.
The level of resentment being generated by delays was bad for the country and he considered the issue to be as important as achieving improved economic growth.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the policy was exactly the same as the one announced by National before the 1990 election.
"National's requirement that all claims will be filed by the end of next year and its claim that they will be settled within five years are election year puffery," he said.
ACT MP Stephen Franks said it was "a good start" but left questions unanswered.
He wanted to know what National would do about references "to the so-called 'principles' of the treaty" in legislation, whether the party would commit to ending Maori seats in Parliament "and other affronts to democratic principle" and whether it would reverse the special place of Maori superstition, which he said undermined the neutrality of the secular state.
- NZPA
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