Treaty relationships need rebalancing: Sharples

Māori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples has called for better balance between the Crown and Māori claimants, to progress Treaty negotiations into a post-settlement phase.

Speaking at today’s Kōkiri Ngātahi national hui on Treaty settlements, Dr Sharples said the fact that iwi used Treaty settlements to secure rights they should already enjoy, reflected badly on successive governments.

“I am extremely concerned about the development of social accords as instruments for settlement redress. I do not doubt the need for these accords. However, in my view that need is symptomatic of a failure of successive governments to provide for the social needs of iwi and Māori,” he said.

“The persistent disparities between Māori and non-Māori, and the failure of government to deliver services in ways that resonate with Māori communities are ongoing. And they seem, at least to me, to be requiring claimant groups to spend valuable negotiations capital, and claimant funding, on negotiating for assurances that government will do the basic job that taxpayers fund it to do.

“I have a similar view about accords that are focused on local government and natural resource management,” he said.

“The statutory framework is quite clear – and it provides for opportunities for Māori involvement in decision-making over natural resources. These opportunities extend right through to the transfer of powers from local government. But these provisions, and therefore the intent of Parliament, are consistently not given effect to.

Dr Sharples said the Crown had to be careful not to let the rigours of the Treaty settlement process compromise relationships among iwi.

“I have seen our regard for each other diminish in the pressure cooker environment of achieving a settlement, and iwi allies turn into iwi adversaries,” said Dr Sharples.

“This causes me much distress. Restoring the Crown-iwi relationship should not compromise the iwi-iwi relationship.

Dr Sharples also said the Crown had to deal with all Māori, not just those who are organised into mandated iwi organisations.

“This includes as iwi, as hapū, as whānau, as marae, as providers and provider collectives, as business interests, or as the constitutional Treaty partner sharing responsibilities with the Crown,” he said.

While he accepted this would involve some cost, Dr Sharples said the Crown’s resources were much greater than those of iwi – and iwi had to deal with many different aspects of their relationship with the Crown.

However, Dr Sharples praised recent government efforts to include Māori input right through the process of developing policy such as the reform of the Foreshore and Seabed Act.

“It is only through this type of inclusive approach that we will achieve the best possible solutions, and avoid unnecessary misunderstanding between iwi, Māori and the Crown,” said Dr Sharples.