Māori party co-leader Marama Fox has refuted claims from Māori Labour MPs Willie Jackson and Tamati Coffey the Pare Hauraki Treaty settlement was a done deal under the previous National government.
She says, “We’re not the only ones refuting it - Chris Finlayson also refuted it in the house in July when he told the house that no deal had ever been signed and that Te Ururoa Flavell did not have the deal already signed with them before that.
"So our claim is these two are fabricating the truth and if they have some proof why don’t they put it up?”
Last night, Labour MP for the Waiariki, Tamati Coffey, claimed it was a done deal.
Coffey said, “This particular settlement was signed off- not under us but under the previous government- I’ve been very late to the table. I had hoped we’d be able to put a pause on this until we were able to work through issues but unfortunately things were at a bit of a stalemate so the minister in his capacity as the Minister of Treaty Negotiations made the decision to sign the Hauraki settlement”.
Fox asks if the Deed of Settlement was signed under National then why would the government need to sign it again?
She says when the Māori Party was in government with National they worked closely with Hauraki and Ngai Te Rangi to come together and resolve the issues.
”It was different when we were there because we asked the two parties what would they need to do to come together and the Minister of Treaty Settlements was led and guided to not move ahead unless all parties were there and that’s what happened.
The Māori Party co-leader remains adamant that no deal was signed off under National.