KEY POINTS:
National is just days from sealing a historic deal with the Maori Party which is likely to see two ministerial posts taken by the smaller party in John Key's incoming Government.
During an 80-minute meeting at Parliament yesterday, the two parties reached a draft agreement that the Maori Party's five MPs will now rapidly take around the country for approval at a series of hui.
After the meeting, Maori Party co-leaders Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples seemed optimistic and indicated they would be pushing the message that the deal should go ahead.
It is understood Mrs Turia and Dr Sharples could take ministerial posts outside the Cabinet if an agreement is sealed - with one of them potentially even becoming Maori Affairs Minister.
Associate portfolio roles are understood to have been discussed by the two parties and education is an area the Maori Party could have some influence in.
The party looks most likely to support National on confidence and money supply votes rather than just abstain.
Asked if they would be promoting the deal to their members when they hold nationwide hui over the next few days, Dr Sharples said the party would not have carried on with negotiations if it did not believe Maori could benefit.
"We wouldn't have come this far if we didn't see gains there," he said. "And that's the whole point, isn't it? To see if there are gains for Maori in this relationship or not. And gains, therefore, for New Zealand."
Mrs Turia said feedback was already coming in.
"Tribal leaders have been calling us, many of our people have been calling us saying they definitely want a relationship to progress and move forward - they think that's important not only for Maori people but for the country."
The proposal includes policy gains for the Maori Party although both sides were tight-lipped about the detail of those yesterday.
Today Dr Sharples told Radio New Zealand the agreement allowed for the Maori Party to get involved in constitutional issues including the entrenchment of the Maori seats and changes to foreshore and seabed legislation.
"It's the first time anyone has offered to do anything about those seats," he said.
"Considering that they have a policy of getting rid of the seats, that they are prepared to look at how Maori fit into the whole constitutional framework is even better."
Mr Key told the broadcaster National had made "predictable" policy compromises in those areas, but would not reveal the detail.
"Clearly there's some ground that's been given there and it's been given on both sides," he said.
National does not need the Maori Party to govern because Act has pledged to support Mr Key's party already on confidence and supply votes.
But Mr Key has reached out to the party as he attempts to stitch up deals that would see his Government supported by as many as 70 votes in the 122-seat Parliament.
It would give him the option of going either to Act or the Maori Party for support on legislation, and it also potentially weakens the leverage Act is trying to use as it negotiates its own support deal.
Mr Key said the Maori Party had indicated it should be able to give a commitment on whether it was going ahead on Sunday.
He hoped to hold a press conference to unveil his new Government line-up that afternoon before being sworn in early next week and then travelling to Peru for the coming Apec meeting.
Meanwhile, Mr Key is close to signing a deal with United Future leader Peter Dunne that appears set to see him continue in the Revenue Minister role he held under Helen Clark's Labour-led Government.
- With NZPA
