Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia has indicated she is not keen on the concept of no one owning the foreshore and seabed.
Prime Minister John Key confirmed today that having no one own the foreshore and seabed is one of the options the Government is considering in talks with Maori and that it was one of the options put to the Iwi Leaders Forum at Waitangi last weekend.
Mr Key confirmed that this was one option on the table.
"It is a concept where you don't get into the emotional debate of ownership. Now it sounds a bit foreign when you think about it, but no one owns the air, no one owns the sea, and we live happily in that sort of environment," Mr Key said.
Mrs Turia said she did not think the concept was a good one.
"I still believe it's an issue of justice and it should be treated as such," Mrs Turia said.
She said the Government was still working through the issues and her opinion was that Maori should have the right to either go to court or to enter into direct negotiations with the Crown.
Mr Key also today repeated comments that co-management of the foreshore and seabed between Maori and the Crown was possible, but if no satisfactory solution could be found the current law would remain in place.
National has agreed in principle with the Maori Party to repeal the 2004 Foreshore and Seabed Act that vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed with the Crown and stopped Maori from testing in court whether it had some form of title to coastal areas.
The Government has stressed that retaining public access to coastal areas is non-negotiable.
The Act sparked the creation of the Maori Party and it has been working with the National Party to repeal the law.
It is also understood that the Government is talking to Maori about various other options for management of the foreshore and seabed and whether Maori should be given be the right to take their claims to court.
The Government has kept its talks with Maori groups largely behind closed doors, but says at some point it intends consulting with the wider public.
