NZ First's Maori policy a voice from the past

The Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Hon D.A.M. Graham, said today policies for Maori announced by NZ First have been tried before, cost millions and failed.

NZ First's policy sets up a number of separate organisations to provide Maori health, education and employment.

Mr Graham said separate policies for Maori do not work and the sooner Maori are brought into the mainstream the better.

'Maori do not need to be treated differently to succeed in the modern world and I do not believe Maori want to be treated as second class citizens needing special treatment.'

Mr Graham said that attempts in the past to design policies on the basis of race instead of need have proved counterproductive and kept Maori in a state of dependency.

'National is the only major party which has social policies based on need, whatever the individual's ethnic background,' he said.

Mr Graham said the settlement of grievance claims would provide iwi with an economic base on which to build and enable Maori to support their own people in their own way.

'I am pleased all parties appear to support the settlement of claims,' Mr Graham said.

However, he said he was surprised that NZ First, Labour and the Alliance would remove the cap on the sum of money budgeted to settle Treaty of Waitangi grievances.

'They seem to believe that there is an unlimited budget to settle claims.

'The idea of Tau Henare flying around the country with blank cheques signed by Winston Peters is fiscal lunacy.

'Progress to date in settling Treaty claims indicates that fair and affordable settlements are possible.

'To pretend there is a bottomless pit will raise expectations which will later be dashed leading to greater disillusionment both for Maori and non Maori,' he said.