KEY POINTS:
The Government struck a chord with many New Zealanders this week when it attacked the Waitangi National Trust for charging $12 for admittance to the treaty grounds - not that they would have given much credence to the hyperbole of Labour list MP Shane Jones saying he would
hate to see his people "elbowed aside by rich American tourists".
But it is hardly surprising that so many objected to parting with their hard-earned cash to visit the most important site in modern New Zealand history. All the more so when they reflect that the land in question was specifically set aside for them, the people of New Zealand.
However, the Government's concern was not just that visitors were being forced to pay to see their nation's birthplace. It also revealed that it is conducting a review of the trust and hinted darkly that the admission charge was a symptom of a deeper problem, namely poor governance.
Even more significantly, Prime Minister Helen Clark refused to rule out the possibility that the Government would take over running the trust and its board. Although she was quick to say nothing was predetermined, it would be a foolish citizen who thought this was not the ultimate objective of attempts to denigrate the board and its work.
As trust chairman Jeremy Williams points out, three ministers - including the Prime Minister - are already on the trust board as ex-officio members. This is surely more than enough influence for the Government and it certainly gives it a proper forum to air any issues with the way the trust is being run.
But according to Mr Williams, they have not taken advantage of the opportunity: "In my time as deputy chair and now chair I have had only one consistent problem with governance, and that has been the non-appearance of the three ex-officio ministerial members, namely the Prime Minister, the Minister of Conservation and the Minister of Maori Affairs."
This apparent lack of interest at a senior level is significant in itself, but all the more worrying is that the Government has produced nothing to justify the review that it belatedly announced on Waitangi Day let alone a measure as drastic as taking over the trust.
The $12 admission charge may be a cause for irritation and outrage among some people who rightly regard the site as an inalienable part of their heritage, but it hardly amounts to a symptom of misgovernment by the trust board. Moreover, the board can point to factors which make the charge seem less onerous.
Looming large among these is the effort to raise money to build a new visitor centre and museum on the site, improvements that will surely enhance the experience of people visiting Waitangi. The money has come, not from the Government, but from the trust's own resources as well as private sector backing.
Despite its heavy commitments, the trust is hoping entry to the site will be free for New Zealanders in about eight years. This may seem a nebulous promise, but if the Government really wants to help the trust and alleviate the frustration of the people it could begin by providing a measure of financial support rather than talking of reviews and takeovers.
Any attempt at a takeover would be wrong in principle because the land was specifically donated to the people - not to the state - by former Governor-General Lord Bledisloe on the condition that it would be run "free from political interference for all time".
To override this principle would be to start a trend that would have a chilling effect on anyone minded to make a similar donation for fear that the terms of the gift would not necessarily be always treated with the respect they deserved. The Government does not hold the monopoly on serving the "public" interest.
