This article was first published on RNZ.
Former prime minister Jim Bolger is being remembered for the pivotal role he played in the relationship between the Crown and Māori.
Bolger died yesterday at the age of 90.
He led the National Party, starting in 1986, and was the prime minister for seven years from 1990, during which time he often stood up to his colleagues when they argued against Māori.
As prime minister, Bolger played a significant role in reshaping Crown-Māori relations, signing the first Treaty settlements with Waikato Tainui and Ngāi Tahu.
Waikato-Tainui executive chairperson Tukoroirangi Morgan said Bolger was committed to solving historical injustices and his thinking on Treaty issues was transformational.
Tā Tīpene O’Regan negotiated the historic Ngāi Tahu settlement, which was signed in in 1998.
Bolger operated within “a deeply thoughtful frame”, he told Nine to Noon.
“I think he’s probably one of the most widely read and most widely informed people that I have ever dealt with.”
He had got a clue early on that a conservative Catholic man might have a huge impact on Crown-Māori relations and quickly became impressed by his “intellectual courage” and his “breadth of thinking”.
While Bolger was handling the fisheries portfolio he saw Bolger had “a searching and inquiring mind and that impressed me quite early”.
O’Regan believed that Bolger’s Irish ancestry might have influenced him a lot in regard to realising the impact of colonisation on a country.
With regard to making things better for Māori, he operated under a belief it was “the right thing to do” and “he stood up to his own team” when necessary.
He also had a deep understanding of Aotearoa’s history, unlike many other politicians, O’Regan said.
“James Brendan Bolger could never have been called an uninformed man.”
‘Bawled my eyes out’
There were a lot of negative elements during the process of Ngāi Tahu’s Treaty settlement negotiations, O’Regan said, and Bolger had to override his colleagues at times.
“He had a knack of dealing with such situations and they’ve [the unpleasant episodes] been pouring through my head since the news came through.”
O’Regan did not want to detail those “negative elements” except to say Bolger had a knack of dealing with such situations.
He was a very focused man to negotiate with and deserving of respect.
Bolger was on the Maui gas platform when Sir Tipene (earlier known as Steve) and his board informed him by phone from Christchurch they had agreed to the Ngāi Tahu settlement.
“I just heard .. ‘kia ora Steve, that’s done, we’ll do the tidying up shortly’ ... I walked out and looked down on the Avon River and bawled my eyes out... I’ll never forget the essential integrity of Jim Bolger.”
O’Regan said they became good friends and maintained contact until the end of his life. Bolger had lost none of his intellectual powers in the final stage of his life, O’Regan said.
‘He truly did stand at the gateway of opportunity’
Waikato-Tainui executive chairperson Tukoroirangi Morgan said Bolger fought against a tide of misunderstanding and intolerance to settle outstanding Māori grievances.
“He will be remembered by Waikato and by Māori across this country as the person who opened the gateway of opportunity so that our historic grievances could be negotiated and resolved for all time.
“He will be the person who changed the fortunes of Māori, who was instrumental in operationalising and ensuring that the Treaty of Waitangi manifested itself in a practical way as the foundation and the springboard for the resolution of our historic grievances.”
In 1995 Bolger and Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu signed the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims Settlement, the first historical Treaty grievance settled with the Crown.
Morgan said it showed the substance of a person who was truly committed to resolving historic injustices, including the loss of 1.2 million acres of land and the taking of the “most precious taonga” of Tainui, the Waikato River.
“Prime Minister Bolger came from a generation of leaders whose words meant something. That when he spoke it was honest, he kept his word, it was reliable and he spoke with integrity. You can’t say that about the modern day members of Parliament.”
The 90s were a tumultuous time for Treaty issues, which included the creation of the “fiscal envelope” which capped the settlement of all historical claims at $1 billion.
But Morgan said Bolger’s thinking on Treaty issues was transformational.
“I think Bolger became the first Prime Minister to create the momentum and an expectation amongst Māori that at last our historic grievances would be addressed in a much more tolerant and understanding way.
“He truly did stand at the gateway of opportunity and allowed our people to go through the gate.”
Proudest of work with Māori - Sir John Key
In all his discussions with Bolger the lasting memory was the joy that he got around race relations and the Treaty, Key said.
He said Bolger took brave and bold steps around honouring the Crown-Treaty relationship.
“He was incredibly proud of the work he did with Sir Doug Graham ... and really felt it had been transformational for New Zealand.”
Bolger believed injustices had taken place and he saw real potential in Māori. He believed they would achieve success if money flowed to them through iwi organisations and this had come to fruition, Key said, and he was also committed to ensuring they made the most of educational opportunities.
“He wanted to empower Māori and to help future generations. ... Jim wasn’t afraid of voicing views and activating views that weren’t always consistent with every National supporter or every New Zealander.”
Key’s views were echoed by Bolger’s deputy prime minister Sir Don McKinnon.
One of his biggest legacies was his positive committment to dealing with Treaty claims relating to confiscated land despite there being an even split with those who supported or were opposed in his caucus, McKinnon told Morning Report.
“It was the right thing to do ... we remained unpopular over that for probably the better part of 20 years over it,” McKinnon said.
By Pokere Paewai of RNZ and RNZ Nine To Noon.