ACT wants end of year deadline for lodging Treaty claims

The ACT Party wants all Treaty of Waitangi claims filed by the end of this year, heard within five years and settled within 10 years.

Announcing its policy today -- called One Law for All -- ACT said no new claims would be accepted after the end of year deadline.

The tribunal would be resourced so it could hear all the claims within five years, and after that the Government and the claimants would have another five years to reach settlements.

"The Treaty of Waitangi has been abused politically to spawn a grievance industry that is both divisive and costly," ACT MP Rodney Hide said.

"The treaty has been abused to concentrate power and consultant fees into the hands of an elite few at the expense of the many."

He said ACT stood for equality, individual freedom and personal responsibility.

"That means no favours and no discrimination based on race, religion or creed."

The National Party wants all claims in by the end of next year and existing claims settled by 2008.

Mr Hide said the "race-based lolly scramble" was sucking resources and talent from Maoridom which could be much better used to generate a more prosperous nation.

"The Treaty of Waitangi is a simple document that establishes one law to be applied equally to all New Zealanders," he said.

"The simple document has been pushed and pulled out of shape beyond all recognition."

Richard Prebble launched the policy by planting a pohutukawa on top of a windswept One Tree Hill.

The tree went into a terracotta pot. "We're a party with zero tolerance to crime, so we're putting it in a planter," Mr Prebble said.

A planned Auckland City planting on the summit last week was cancelled after Ngati Whatua declined to attend, saying that the tribe's treaty claim, which includes One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie) was under negotiations and the tribe did not want to jeopardise it.

Mayor John Banks said that survival of the six fragile pohutukawa seedlings was also an issue.

- NZPA

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