Hawke's Bay hui on Crown and Maori relationship at Omahu Marae

Deputy Prime Minister Kelvin Davis will be at Omahu Marae tomorrow for the latest Crown-Maori relationships hui. Photo/File

Deputy Prime Minister Kelvin Davis will be in Hawke's Bay for the eighth in a series of 16 hui nationwide aimed at improving Crown and Maori relationships.

The hui will be tomorrow 10am-2pm at Omahu Marae, near Fernhill and the Minister emphasises: "Everybody is welcome."

Davis says Maori still spend too much time fighting in the courts, before the Waitangi Tribunal, or marching on the streets.

"There has got to be a better way forward for the Crown and Māori. And we need to start talking about our future now."

Davis said that too often the Crown has told Māori what their relationship is, but as the first Minister for Crown/Māori Relations he plans to change that approach.

"We have already starting listening to views from across our country, from business to academics, local government to local champions.

"And it's been a real eye opener. Debate has been proactive, people are excited and the majority are saying: It's about time we had this talk."

With settlement of historical Treaty claims coming to an end, Māori and the Crown need to start thinking about "what a Crown/Māori relationship looks like once we leave the negotiating table", he said.

The first of the hui was in Kaitaia a fortnight ago, the first of four in Northland. Others have been held in Nelson and Christchurch and another is being held today in Gisborne.