Prime Minister John Key is accompanied on to Te Tii marae
by Ngapuhi elder Titewhai Harawira (left), at Waitangi,
yesterday. Photo / NZPA.
Prime Minister John Key will use his first annual
Waitangi Day address this morning to tackle extremists on both
sides of the race relations divide, saying they cynically
damage the goodwill needed to put an end to grievance in New
Zealand.
Mr Key said yesterday he had decided to begin an annual
address on Waitangi Day saying leaders should reflect upon
their national day and race relations.
It is understood his speech this morning will focus on the
treaty settlement process, acknowledging the work of both
Labour and National governments and emphasising his
Government's aim to hasten the process.
He will say that settling Auckland iwi claims will be a
priority in 2010, following the agreement to vest the
volcanic cones with a collective of local iwi, and to
reassure listeners that the Government will act carefully to
ensure agreements are not flawed in the haste to meet the
2014 deadline.
Mr Key has repeatedly criticised Hone Harawira for focusing
on Pakeha colonisation of New Zealand, and is expected to use
his speech to say that he believes the views of extremists
are not those of the majority of New Zealand.
His comments will target both sides - including Pakeha who
believe the treaty settlement process is a "gravy train" and
believe that the price of it is too high so past injustice
should be ignored.
He will also tackle Maori extremists, describing them as
those who promote a culture of entitlement and separatism,
who believe colonisation entitles Maori to special treat ment
and whose sole objective is division.
His inaugural Waitangi Day address will also mark a day of
returns - the diplomatic corps returned to Waitangi this year
for the first time since protesters spat and bared their
buttocks at them in 1995 over the fiscal envelope.
Police Commissioner Howard Broad will also attend today in
his first visit - an indication the police believe strained
relations with Maori after the Tuhoe terrorism raids are now
mending.
Mr Key was welcomed on to Te Tii marae yesterday along with
the Maori Party, Green Party and the diplomatic corps with no
repeat of the jostling of last year.
However, he did arrive to find he was facing Maori MP Hone
Harawira and NZ First leader Winston Peters on the paepae,
both of whom he has been scathing about in the past.
Mr Harawira took the chance to take a swipe at Mr Key for
criticising his views on colonisation, his descriptions of
Pakeha and his now abandoned plans to copyright the Maori
flag.
Mr Harawira said Mr Key should not believe everything he read
and had no reason "to jump into the debate" to attack him.
In his speech at the marae yesterday, Mr Key discussed
progress on treaty settlements, and said 2010 could be the
year for a breakthrough on the foreshore and seabed
legislation.
However, he sought to dampen down expectations, saying he
needed to voice a note of caution that both sides had to
compromise.
He also raised the 15% Maori unemployment rate, saying
improving education outcomes for Maori children would help
address that.
- Claire Trevett of The NZ Herald
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