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In an apparent softening of its stance, the Maori Party is considering a plan B on the foreshore and seabed law by pushing for the present law to be amended rather than totally repealed, to better protect Maori rights.
The Maori Party conference, which began yesterday at Omahu Marae near Hastings, will include debate on a remit for the party to push for the existing legislation to be amended rather than continuing to focus solely on its repeal.
The remit seems an apparent softening of the party's stance on the law, which sparked the 2004 hikoi down the country and the creation of the Maori Party by removing the right of Maori to go to the Maori Land Court to have title of the foreshore and seabed vested in it.
The law places title of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, giving Maori some traditional rights over its usage and care.
In 2005 the Maori Party campaigned on the basis of repealing the law and has a private member's bill to do so waiting for its first reading. The bill, however, is unlikely to go further because of lack of political support.
The remit notes that the party's intention to put forward a bill to repeal the law had been met by the private member's bill, and also seems to acknowledge the reality of its failure.
It introduces a plan B - for the party to introduce amendments to the existing law which might address "those aspects that are prejudicial to Maori and remain difficult for Maori to accept".
Any backing away from a total repeal of the law could be a hard sell for the party to its membership, given that it campaigned on the basis of repealing the legislation to give Maori the go-ahead to take claims to the seabed and foreshore to the courts.
In his address last night, party president Whatarangi Winiata said the party had fulfilled its commitment to prepare a bill to repeal the legislation. "We remain firmly committed to repeal in the first instance or to major amendments in the second."
He also spoke of the party's record in Parliament - saying its voting record showed there was no single party with which it aligned its votes.
He said the party was in good health with 21,000 members.
Co-leader Tariana Turia paid tribute to her MPs and said the party would continue to provide an independent Maori voice in Parliament.
