KEY POINTS:
Tame Iti knows how to hijack a John Key walkabout - just turn up.
Mr Key was scheduled for a Waitangi walkabout at 2 o'clock yesterday, about the same time as Mr Iti was expected to arrive.
The pair met while Mr Key was doing the obligatory tour among the stalls at the campground next to Te Tii Marae. But as soon as Mr Iti arrived with his whanau, Mr Key found himself a free agent and they greeted each other with a hongi. When their paths crossed later in a pro-Maori Party tent one party supporter quipped: "Sign him [Key] up and he'll be the Prime Minister next year."
Mr Key didn't bring anything new to Waitangi - instead he repeated his Ratana message that National wanted the party vote of Maori people. In a leader's forum with Jeanette Fitzsimons, Parekura Horomia and Te Ururoa Flavell, he told a boisterous, mainly Maori audience that was because "we're going to make your lives better".
And he he did his best to make sure even a blind man could see the difference between him and the Prime Minister. "I'm going to say something that Helen Clark never said to you - nice to be here."
The crowd, who heckled Mr Horomia, the Maori Affairs Minister, throughout his speech, for the most part listened intently to Mr Key. The boos only started once he re-iterated National's policy to scrap the Maori seats.
There was also an uncomfortable moment when Mr Key pointed at Mr Iti's grandson and said that little boy should be given every chance to achieve, to become a "rocket scientist," if he wanted to. His actor father, Toi, who visibly cringed at the remark, took issue after the debate - his son's choices in life would be influenced by things Maori, he said.
Mr Iti wasn't the only Maori activist Mr Key took the time to chat with. The day began with Titewhai Harawira holding his hand and taking him on to Te Tii Marae. Mrs Harawira said it was simply part of her role of seeing that visitors were treated with dignity.
Mr Key agreed. "She respected the view that I fronted up, she agreed to take me on."
Mr Key took heart from meeting with Ngapuhi people at the marae.
"The message from Sonny [Tau, iwi leader] was gone are the days when Maori voted the way their parents did."
Ngapuhi kaumatua Nuki Aldridge said tensions were not high on the day and he was tired of people thinking they were.
"It's beautiful all the connections our people make with each other again. Oh, we love it."
