Treaty education plan faces 'PC' inspection

By AUDREY YOUNG political editor

The Opposition is promising close scrutiny for "political correctness" in one of Labour's most sensitive policies, a Treaty of Waitangi education programme, which finally gets started today.

State Services Minister Trevor Mallard will launch a treaty information website, the first part of a campaign promised by Labour before it came to power in 1999.

So vulnerable is the Government on the issue of the treaty, however, that it has had a very long and slow preparation.

But Mr Mallard hinted in Parliament before Easter that the treaty campaign might be more of a history lesson than a gift of ammunition to Opposition parties.

One of the lead advertisements for the programme would ask: "Did you know how close we came to speaking French?"

But National state services spokesman Murray McCully said: "I can promise it will be getting the most careful scrutiny."

The Maori Affairs and Treaty Negotiations ministers were originally given until last March to develop the programme.

But within a month, Mr Mallard had been put in charge and a unit established within the State Services Commission.

"Clearly, the Government decided that a combination of Margaret Wilson and Parekura Horomia on a public information programme on the treaty was too lethal a cocktail for the electorate," said Mr McCully.

Today's launch, said Mr McCully, would be "the first indication of whether he is going to bring at last some common sense to this area and eradicate the political correctness that drives the bureaucrats and ministers who have been there before".

Associate Maori Affairs Minister Tariana Turia told Parliament she had been involved in the programme's policy development but not its operational aspects. She had asked Prime Minister Helen Clark to remove from the next official register her delegation's responsibility for the Treaty of Waitangi public information programme.

The information programme will run for three years and has a budget of $6.47 million.

The treaty formed a part of a Massey University survey on national identity published earlier this year, showing that:

* 75 per cent believed the treaty created division between Maori and non-Maori.

* 55 per cent thought the treaty should not play an important part in Government decision-making; 40 per cent thought it should.

* 60 per cent disapproved of the Government's handling of treaty issues, 20 per cent approved, and 20 per cent were undecided.

* 50 per cent believed the Government was honouring its treaty obligations.

* 60 per cent believed it was taking too long to settle claims and 75 per cent wanted a time limit set.