Lillian
Hanly, Political reporter
Māori
Development Minister Tama Potaka says he’s “looked over” his
“notes” since reporters asked what he thought about the
removal of the Treaty clause in RMA reforms, but he didn’t
want to get into “semantic gymnastics.”
The clause
required the principles of the Treaty to be upheld, as is
included in the current RMA.
RMA Minister Chris Bishop
confirmed on Monday Cabinet had agreed not to include the
clause in the coalition’s proposed new
legislation.
Earlier on Tuesday, Potaka told reporters
it was the first he’d heard about it when
asked.
Potaka has since told reporters it was “very
confusing before.”
“I’ve looked over my notes, I know
what’s going on now, I understand the context of the
questions.”
He said he thought the questions were
“mischaracterised”, saying they were “riff-offs” from
Tuesday’s post-cabinet media conference.
It was
pointed out to him the first question he was asked was what
he thought about the removal of the clause, to which he
responded it was the “first” he’d heard about it.
But
he said “there were a number of riff-offs from what other
people had said and I was trying to understand the
context.”
He acknowledged he was a “little bit
confused” but he was ready to answer questions now.
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“I
don’t want to get into semantic gymnastics”, Potaka said, “I
do understand the context in which the question was asked
and now I can respond fully.”
He said the coalition is
committed to ensuring treaty provisions, settlements, and
rights and interests like wāhi tapu are upheld in
subsequent legislation.
When asked why he couldn’t
explain the change and his position in more detail earlier,
he says he wasn’t across the context in which the questions
were asked.
‘The first I’ve heard of it’
When
asked about the removed clause on Tuesday morning, Potaka
said it was the “first time” he’d heard about it.
“The
first I’ve heard of it is right now,” Potaka told reporters
at Parliament on Tuesday morning. “I don’t know about
that.”
“I haven’t seen any formal document in that
respect.”
Potaka said he was aware the Prime Minister
made an announcement on Monday, but he wasn’t “deep dark
into the room at that stage listening to all of
it”.
When asked if he was concerned that he wasn’t
aware about the removed clause, Potaka said he didn’t know
the context in which the questions were being
asked.
“I didn’t see the stand up and I don’t know
what Chris Bishop has talked to you about right
now.”
When asked if he didn’t remember, or wasn’t
consulted about the change, Potaka said he wasn’t across the
specific comment made by Bishop.
Labour’s Willie
Jackson said it’s not good enough, and shouldn’t have come
as a surprise given the coalition had made its intention
clear in that area.
“For him to be surprised now is a
bit of a shock,” he said.
Jackson said he needs to do
his homework.
“He’s the Minister in charge of kaupapa
Māori, overseeing legislation right across the spectrum –
I’m just very surprised to hear that.”
Jackson said
Māori are being let down by the senior māori minister, who
he said isn’t doing his job.
“It’s incredibly
important to have those treaty clauses in.”
He said
their removal was consistent with the government’s “constant
attack” on Māori issues.
Bishop was asked about
Potaka’s comments, but said those questions should be
directed at Potaka.
“I don’t know what’s in Tama’s
head. But cabinet has made a decision to not have a generic
treaty clause in the RMA.”
When asked if Potaka was
consulted directly, Bishop said “he’s a member of the
Cabinet, so…”
Bishop added the new legislation will
still recognise Treaty settlements, and Māori rights and
interests, despite scrapping the long-standing treaty
clause.
He said the government is not interested in a
generic treaty clause.
“That is a different issue from
the legitimate expectations of Māori that their role in the
Resource Management system is recognised and
protected.
“We are interested as a government in
descriptive clauses that make it really clear for everyone –
including iwi Māori and hapū – what their role is in the
system, but also what the Crown’s role in the system
is.”
Bishop said the problem with generic clauses is
they are open ended, and create legal
risk.
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