Peters unveils NZ First treaty policy

NZ First leader Winston Peters told Te Awamutu Grey Power he wants to see most race-based policy eradicated. Picture / Amos Chapple

There was no powhiri for Winston Peters when he launched New Zealand First's Treaty of Waitangi policy in front of a Grey Power audience in Te Awamutu yesterday.

And the party leader wants to see fewer Maori welcomes within the public sector.

Speaking to a full house at the Waipa Workingmans club Mr Peters called for a review of the "enforcement of protocol and custom for every public occasion".

He said that while appropriate in some cases, powhiri had become "costly token gestures, with a rent-a-kaumatua to cheapen both the integrity of the Maori involved and often cause discomfort for those who have to sit through it".

Speaking on a chilly grey afternoon to a warm grey audience, the political veteran called for an end to "treaty mumbo jumbo and political correctness" created by "liberal do-gooders" in the "ivory towers of our universities" and "public sector".

Quoting Irish philosopher Edmund Burke - "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men [or women] to do nothing" - and American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Mr Peters called for an end to separatism and special treatment.

His party would end Treaty of Waitangi education programmes and training for Government employees -"wasted money that has no tangible benefit in improving output within the public sector".

It would also end "token politically correct jobs" within the public service "dubiously allocated under meeting treaty obligations", including positions such as a TVNZ's kaihautu and iwi liaison positions on district health boards.

In a hint at which party best aligns with NZ First policy Mr Peters echoed calls by National leader Don Brash for the removal of all references to principles of the treaty from legislation.

"Policy development and delivery will be colour blind."

The Maori development ministry, Te Puni Kokiri, would also be reviewed. Mr Peters claimed it had lost sight of its true purpose.

"There was a time when its place was to promote housing jobs and training for Maori." Now he labelled it a development of hundreds of analysts wasting millions on consultancy fees doing little to help Maori.

"It has become the opiate of the Bro-ocracy ... The ministry's job should be to promote First World health, housing and education and First World wages for Maori."

Mr Peters would also remove amendments to the Local Government Act that allow Maori representation on local bodies, district health boards and "all other government and quasi-government" organisations.

However, while critical of the Maori seats in Parliament, he would not say whether he would scrap them.

Mr Peters would also abolish the Waitangi Tribunal, replacing it with commission of inquiry into treaty breaches. The new body would have until 2012 to complete reports on historical treaty claims. A mandatory five-year deadline for historical claims would be applied.

While the Treaty of Waitangi policy launch dominated his speech Mr Peters reiterated his push for the elderly vote, and it was queries on his party's superannuation, law and order and defence policy that dominated question time.

And while crowd was supportive of the charismatic MP, not all backed his views.

Ellen Pirihi, a Te Awamutu care-giver and one of just a handful of Maori in the audience, said she didn't much care for Mr Peters' policies despite being related to him.

"Some of his policies are good - but we still need our Maori seats."

Mary Pemberton of Kihikihi, however, thought Mr Peters' policies were "very positive".

"I like his policies and his views on transport and the police.

"I agree we should do away with segregation."

NZ First would:

* Eradicate all race-based policies.
* Review ministries such as Te Puni Kokiri based solely on race.
* Remove references to treaty principles from all legislation.
* Remove race-based representation from local bodies and district health boards.
* Replace the Waitangi Tribunal with a Waitangi Commission which would have a deadline of 2012 to resolve all historic treaty claims.
* Eradicate treaty education courses in the public sector.
* Remove all "token" Maori jobs from the public sector, for example TVNZ's kaihautu ("the person who steers the canoe") and iwi liaison units at district health boards.
* Review the use of Maori protocols such as powhiri for public service events.