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
