Popularity fears cost Urewera settlement, says Tuhoe

Chief Tuhoe negotiator Tamati Kruger. Photo / Daily Post

Tuhoe representatives believe they had the numbers in Cabinet to secure ownership of Te Urewera National Park but say a nervous prime minister acting unilaterally stood in the way.

Prime Minister John Key announced on Monday that ownership of the park wasn't on the table in the treaty negotiations, despite the Maori Party and those in the Tuhoe camp believing the deal was virtually sealed, and having already planned a hui to celebrate.

Mr Key said such a deal was outside the scope of settlements and would be "a very unusual" step for the Government to take.

Chief Tuhoe negotiator Tamati Kruger said information gleaned from the corridors of Parliament before Mr Key's announcement indicated a majority of Cabinet supported returning the 212,000-hectare national park to Tuhoe.

He said it appeared Mr Key had "intervened" at the end of an 18-month negotiation process based on worries expressed at last weekend's National Party regional meeting in Masterton, where concerns were raised that the Government was making too many concessions to Maori.

Mr Kruger said Mr Key's action was "so disconnected" with what had been achieved in the 18 months of negotiations.

He had acted unilaterally to "preserve something else, and I'm guessing that's National Party popularity", Mr Kruger said. The move had "taken away the solution to the prejudice and injustice that Tuhoe continue to suffer".

Mr Kruger said many Tuhoe people had contacted him to voice disquiet over the development and their moods ranged from "disappointed to angry".

"It's taken 18 months for this Government to tell Tuhoe that Te Urewera should never have been talked about and that's not good faith bargaining."

The Government had lost its nerve in the quest to settle serious and long-standing grievances, and internal National Party political concerns based on "superstition, not fact" had won out.

Mr Kruger said hui planned to endorse the hoped-for agreement in principle over the next few days would continue as planned but would serve instead to gauge support for the strategies employed to achieve a settlement.

"And we're getting back information that Tuhoe don't want us to veer from our approach."

Tuhoe activist Tame Iti said while his hapu was disappointed, he believed a return of Te Urewera was still on the table.

Mr Iti likened this week's development to the theft of a vehicle.

"It's like a pinched car. The Government are prepared to return the car to us without the ownership papers, but we want the papers, too."

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia criticised Mr Key's action. She said she was tired of the "politics of race being brought into the equation".

She said Tuhoe had acted honourably throughout the negotiation process.

Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell said Te Urewera had been Tuhoe's homeland for hundreds of years before the concept of title ownership existed in New Zealand.

He said making an announcement about what was on or off the table while negotiations were in progress was unheard of and must not become the norm for future settlements. Doing so risked them being negotiated through the media "where the end result would be based on popularity, not what is right".

Mr Key yesterday said he disagreed that an agreement had been reached and said he had communicated clearly all along.

"The proposal falls outside the broad principles that have operated for other treaty negotiations," he said.

"I'm personally keen to see a settlement concluded, but it won't be a settlement that has the vesting of the Urewera National Park solely in the people Tuhoe."

- NZPA