Peters: Maori flag taking us down road to two nations

Winston Peters says many Maori have died fighting under the New Zealand flag. Photo / Mark Mitchell

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters does not want a Maori flag flying from Auckland's Harbour Bridge, saying it is "taking us further down the road to two nations".

Mr Peters criticised plans to choose a Maori flag to be flown on special occasions as "insidious, creeping crawling dissolving of the bonds and the symbols that unite us as a nation" in his speech to the party's conference at the weekend.

"It is dangerous for the future of this nation to create another flag ... Thousands of New Zealanders have died under our flag and many were Maori."

Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples is consulting iwi on an official flag after Prime Minister John Key said he would support one chosen by Maori which would be flown from the bridge, Parliament and Premier House on Waitangi Day from 2010.

But Mr Peters asked: "Tell me who voted at the last election to set up a separate system for Maori? Tell me where is the mandate for [the] Maori Party to choose any national flag, let alone a Maori flag?"

Mr Peters called the Maori Party "separatists", and said the only area where they were prepared to tolerate a One Country concept was their fervent embrace of other taxpayers' dollars.

Mr Peters is equally critical of Maori seats but his attack on the Maori flag saw him outflank his rival Act leader Rodney Hide on the "one law for all" issue.

Mr Hide told Q and A he was "perfectly relaxed" about the flag flying on Government and council buildings while he is Minister of Local Government.

"You can have 10 flags and still have one law for all," Mr Hide said. "One law for all is about actually being able to put your name forward, not be denied a position on a council because of your race."