Christopher Luxon speaks as Māori leaders arrive for Iwi Chairs Forum ahead of Waitangi Day

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Kerikeri, Northland, flanked by Māori-Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka and Finance Minister Nicola Willis.

There was a telling off for Māori-Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka during the pōwhiri welcoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and other Cabinet ministers to the meeting of iwi leaders today.

Potaka played it down later as no big deal but it saw his mihi unusually interrupted for a scolding over jokes he was making as icebreakers.

Potaka had won a few laughs from a crowd expected to challenge the Government when he introduced NZ First Cabinet minister and Tai Tokerau local Shane Jones as the Crown’s representative from Croatia. Jones (Māori/Dalmatian/Welsh) speaks often and proudly of his Croatian heritage.

Potaka went on to joke Seymour was the Crown’s representative from Ngāti Rēhia (a hapū of Ngāpuhi). It was a line that also earned a few laughs - and reflected Seymour’s Maori heritake and his whakapapa.

But then Potaka continued to mine the same vein in search of further humour and was brought up short by Kipa Munro, of Ngāti Rēhia, and told to stop.

Munro told the crowd whatever Māori may think of Seymour or his policies, no one could take away the fact he is a descendant of Ngāti Rēhia.

After the meeting, Potaka was questioned about the interruption but passed it off as tikanga, saying he wouldn’t - and didn’t need to - apologise.

Luxon said later the meeting was “very constructive” with “a good challenge from both sides”.

He said there was “good conversation” on the Treaty Principles Bill and expressed frustration over being again questioned whether the bill would pass its first reading. He has previously said it would not and reiterated today the National Party did not support a referendum, as sought by Act.

Luxon also declined to list what he considered to be the principles of the Treaty although did say it was “akin to a partnership”.

Luxon said there were a number of issues raised during the meetings, some more challenging than others. “We won’t agree on everything, I get that.

“At the end of the day, there was goodwill on both sides and I am excited for the prospects to come,” Luxon said.

Luxon said he would uphold Treaty settlements when questioned about the fast-tracked consents.

He challenged iwi leaders to get their “kids to school”, which was a hot topic during the meetings.

The hui in Kerikeri comes after the Hui a Motu at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia and right before what is expected to be a busy and tense series of events leading up to Waitangi Day.

The forum is being hosted by Te Tai Tokerau iwi Te Roroa and Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa. The area and streets around the venue were crawling with police ahead of and during Luxon’s arrival.

Iwi Chairs Forum Pou Tangata co-chairperson Rahui Papa said this was the first hui since last year’s election and a chance for the forum to consolidate.

“There’s an excess of 74 iwi that will be present today. And we’ll be talking about how we deal with the new coalition Government going forward. Some of the arrangements that we’ve had over the last 10 or so years, and then how do we plot our pathway into the future.”

Iwi Chairs Forum co-chair pou tangata, Rahui Papa, at the hui in Kerikeri. Photo / Anneke Smith, RNZ

Papa said the Iwi Chairs Forum would have to navigate how to respond to Act’s proposed Treaty Principles Bill, especially when Māori viewed Te Tiriti to be sacrosanct.

The themes of kotahitanga (unity) and mana motuhake (self-determination) that emerged from the hui aa Motu at Tūrangawaewae will be complementary to this hui, he said.

This year, Waitangi celebrations would be focused on He Whakaputanga, the Declaration of Independence and Te Tiriti, he said.

“So it will be those two founding documents that will be the basis really of all of our discussions, any arrangements and relationships will be based on those two founding documents.”

Papa said Seymour had spoken of Act’s position of “one person, one vote” to support the rights of minorities.

“We are not a minority,” he said. “We are a Treaty partner.”

Papa said concerns around health, education, the economy and climate change will also be part of the discussions this week.

He said Luxon’s words around education were welcome but it was important to reflect Māori aspirations that children were not taught in a purely Western framework.

“We want them cloaked in our culture.”

“Those are some of the things that we think we have solutions for. And given the proper resourcing of those solutions, then we want to work with anybody, not only our Government, but with philanthropic sort of organisations to be able to further and advance as those aspirations.”

Asked if the iwi leaders position had been accepted by the Government, he said: “I think they listened. Whether they listened is part and parcel of the discussions going forward.”

- with RNZ