Peters calls for truth commission

By RUTH BERRY


Winston Peters has stepped up his attack on the Waitangi Tribunal, calling for it to be dumped in favour of a commission that would establish the "true facts".

And he claims the practice of appointing the Maori Land Court chief judge as the tribunal's chairperson must end.

The proposals form part of NZ First's new treaty policy unveiled yesterday.

Mr Peters also wants to remove all existing references to the "principles of the treaty" from legislation and impose time limits on the lodging and settlement of historical treaty claims.

While his tribunal criticisms were harsh, it was not clear how different the new body would be.

Much of the policy dovetails with that of the Government or echoes concerns it has already raised - some after National leader Don Brash's Orewa speech - and could lead to policy shifts.

This suggests Mr Peters, heading the third-biggest political party, has crafted his policy to prevent major policy clashes in the event of potential coalition talks with either party.

He refused to say whether his proposals would be a coalition bottom line.

Although Mr Peters is more critical of the tribunal than is the Government, it, too, has also criticised tribunal findings.

Mr Peters said instead of being a body which collected facts the tribunal "has morphed into an advocacy body for Maori claimants."

Asked which recent reports were biased, he referred to an eight-year-old Taranaki report and then reports as old as 1985.

The Government last year expressed concerns about whether land court judges should sit on the tribunal.

When land court chief judge Joe Williams was appointed tribunal chairman in January, it was for a limited term for this reason.

The Government similarly raised concerns about vague references to the treaty in legislation in the wake of the Orewa criticism of them, saying early this year some references may be axed.

Mr Peters would increase the "commission's" funding so it could hear claims faster.

It was revealed yesterday that the Government rejected a tribunal budget bid for increased funding despite a warning that without more money, the Government wouldn't meet its target of settling historic claims in 10 years.

The Government has previously said that target is 10 to 15 years, but although it won't impose a deadline it is considering a limit on the filing of historic claims.

Mr Peters wants claims lodged within five years, hearings completed by 2012 and claims settled by 2015 - relatively consistent with existing timeframes.

National wants stricter deadlines.

Courts Minister Rick Barker disagreed with the proposal to abolish the tribunal, which performed a "valuable role".

The commission "sounds like the tribunal by any other name."

National MP and former tribunal member Georgina te Heu Heu said it was time for a cross-party accord encouraging tribes into direct negotiations with the Crown to speed settlements.

Her comments weren't approved of by Dr Brash who said Mrs te Heu Heu was no longer National's Treaty spokesperson.

While he had sympathy for recent criticisms of the tribunal's bias by outgoing member Michael Bassett, it played an important role and was a necessary part of the settlement process.

He described NZ First's proposals as "a pale shadow of what I said at Orewa."