National will look at softer seabed stand

The foreshore law created such a grievance among Maori that it must be reviewed if race relations are to move forward, says National deputy leader Gerry Brownlee.

Mr Brownlee, whose party's foreshore stance did not appear sympathetic to those aired by Maori around the Foreshore and Seabed Act's passing, made the comments yesterday.

He was confirming that National would consider supporting the private member's bill the Maori Party plans to develop on the foreshore.

"If the law is left as it is, it will be a problem from here till whenever it's dealt with, because there's not a single Maori leadership entity out there of any substance that is actually backing the current law.

"At some point we're going to have to confront that because if we are serious about ending Treaty grievances you can't have something like this that is going to facilitate the grievance continuing."

The Greens, who may also support the bill, yesterday accused National of being two-faced over the issue, saying its former hard-line stance had turned into "weak-kneed equivocation".

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples believes the bill might win the support of National, the Greens and Act.

It would still require the vote of at least one more MP to overturn the law.

United Future, which voted against it, said yesterday that it would decide whether to support the bill "when and if" it was introduced.

National's stance on the issue has sometimes been less than clear and it did not produce a clear election policy on it.

National, like Act, has traditionally been a supporter of upholding property rights and some of its MPs have always privately believed the matter should have been left to the courts.

Publicly the party attacked the legislation for offering Maori too many avenues to lodge overly expansive claims and said it would change the legislation to "ensure Crown ownership" of the foreshore and seabed.

The law prevents title flowing from territorial ownership claims being granted, but will compensate if the claims were valid.

National has often denied that such claims could be recognised and therefore compensated for.

Aside from changing tack to suggest the law was unfair on Maori, Mr Brownlee also said it was possible National would support some territorial claims.

National was engaged in a work programme on the legislation and might yet change its policy on that issue.

But he made it clear National would not support substantial ownership claims and that it believed customary rights provisions in the law were too loose.

This would appear to put it on a direct collision course with the Maori Party's aspirations.

Dr Sharples was unable to provide many details about the bill yesterday, saying the party had yet to properly discuss it.

He could not say whether it would involve a simple repeal or new legislation, although he said at the least some new law would probably be needed to protect public access rights, necessary to get other parties on side.

Greens Maori Affairs spokeswoman Metiria Turei has advocated repeal, then changing Te Ture Whenua Maori Act - a change initially considered by the Government - to enable Maori to seek customary, but not freehold title.

Dr Sharples was not prepared to rule out freehold title yesterday.

Position-taking

* Maori Party plans a bill which may repeal or substantially alter the Foreshore and Seabed Act.

* National is considering backing the Maori Party.

* Greens may also support the bill.