Plans to exclude media from talks on seabed

By HELEN TUNNAH

Potentially volatile talks between the Government and Maori on the seabed and foreshore may be held away from the public gaze with attempts to shut the media out of the consultation hui.

The Herald understands plans are under way for reporters to be excluded from the substantive talks, at least at the opening hui on the controversial law changes at Whangara marae in Gisborne on Thursday.

The Government has been warned it will face intense criticism at all 11 hui where the policies will be debated before the end of the month.

A weekend hui in Blenheim warned that Labour's Maori MPs in particular would face flak for supporting the proposals, which Maori say strip them of their customary title to coastal areas.

However, there may now be little public scrutiny of just how serious their anger is.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Helen Clark said last night that it was the decision of individual marae and not the Government who was welcome to attend the hui.

"No-one from the Government has given any direction to any marae," he said.

The spokesman said the Government wanted to encourage a "free and frank" exchange of views at the hui, and that might not happen with reporters and camera crew present.

The media were shut out of talks on the seabed and foreshore row at a hui in Taupo this year, on the suggestion of the Attorney-General, Margaret Wilson.

The changes to the law affecting coastal areas below the high-tide mark have provided Labour with one of the sternest tests of its time in office.

The Government announced it would change the law, to ensure no one could own the seabed and foreshore, after an Appeal Court decision that the Maori Land Court had jurisdiction to rule on whether Maori could make title claims.

While appeasing Pakeha voters, the decision has angered many within Maoridom.

Helen Clark said yesterday that mainstream Maori were not as opposed to the policies as the 300 people who attended the weekend's Blenheim hui.

"You would have expected that hui to attract people who disagree with the proposals.

"The bottom line for the Government is that there will be no exclusive freehold title to those [coastal] areas. We cannot make that more plain."

She has already said she will not be attending any of the hui.

Instead they will be fronted by senior Cabinet ministers such as Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen, Margaret Wilson, Steve Maharey or Trevor Mallard.

Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia is also expected to attend all 11 hui.