KEY POINTS:
John Key is expected to be welcomed on to Waitangi's marae to celebrate what he calls "New Zealand's national day" - the first time a prime minister has visited Te Tii Marae since the clashes of five years ago.
The commemoration of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi has been a regular flashpoint of protest.
In 2004, former prime minister Helen Clark was jostled amid ugly scenes at Te Tii Marae, the lower marae at Waitangi. She refused to attend the marae in the four years that followed.
It was expected that Key could receive greater fanfare than normally accorded the prime minister after his coalition agreement with the Maori Party. But the potential for new dissent around the foreshore and seabed issue this month may undermine that.
Key had hoped to follow the same itinerary as last year, which saw him visit the lower marae with a welcome from veteran protester Titewhai Harawera. It was a striking contrast to the mud pie that met his predecessor Don Brash in 2004.
Key said: "Increasingly, it is becoming a day not of protest but of unity between Maori and non-Maori, and I welcome that as a very positive development."
He saw Waitangi Day as the country's national day, he added, and there was no need for another day to serve as the national celebration.
"Increasingly, I believe that Waitangi Day has been moving to a day of celebration, not protest. I hope that this sense of unity continues to strengthen, and I believe it will."
Pita Apiata, a member of Ngapuhi Taumata Kaumatua (council of elders), said Key's coalition with the Maori Party had "increased his mana".
However, Apiata warned that it was still early for the new Government. "Every new broom sweeps well. It's whether it keeps its bristles after a few years."
