KEY POINTS:
National leader John Key has promised that if elected prime minister he will routinely take part in the dawn service at Waitangi and return to Te Tii marae.
This is in contrast to Prime Minister Helen Clark who has avoided both - particularly the lower marae because of past problems there.
Mr Key was at the old meeting house on the treaty grounds at Waitangi for today's dawn service that began around 5am.
After the ceremony he told reporters there had been a warm atmosphere inside the meeting house.
"It was actually a really nice service. It was just a time where people reflected on the struggles that New Zealand had gone through.
"But also there was a high degree of optimism, a lot of talk about young people, the tamariki, and the feeling of hope for them in the future."
Mr Key said he was told by one kaumatua to "be your own leader".
"He just really made the point that the leader of New Zealand wasn't here today and so there was an opportunity for me to say a few words and I just simply offered a prayer and acknowledged the opportunity I had to offer that prayer."
Mr Key said said Waitangi was an important part of New Zealand's history and provided a day to reflect on the past and also the future.
"I can't think of a nicer way to celebrate it than here at the grounds and what is always in my experience a really moving but also nice service.
"It's each for their own. If I was prime minister I would continue to come back.
"I have no intention of doing things as leader of the Opposition that I won't do as prime minister. It's disingenous to do so."
Veteran activist Titewhai Harawira, who welcomed Mr Key on to Te Tii marae yesterday, told reporters she did not mind that Miss Clark did not attend the dawn service on Waitangi Day.
"Helen never attends the dawn service and I don't have a criticism about that at all. That's her choice and I respect it. Today's not about politics, it's about us all coming together to honour Te Tiriti of Waitangi."
Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia said Miss Clark was "not an early riser". But she had been going to Waitangi for many years.
At a leadership forum on the lower Te Tii marae yesterday, Mr Horomia got a tougher time over the seabed and foreshore issue than the Maori Party or National.
Mr Horomia said that was "nothing new" for Maori leadership to "get a hard time".
"Not just from forums like that but I think we can get through it okay."
Miss Clark hosted a breakfast for community leaders this morning before doing a walk around the historic treaty grounds.
She then due to go to Auckland for Waitangi Day commemorations there.
The 168th Waitangi Day commemorations have so far seen little protest.
Mrs Harawira said she was "behaving" herself but that did not mean Maori would not continue to protest in the future for change.
"It's been calm, everybody's come to honour Te Tiriti (the treaty)," she said.
"We've come a long way and we've achieved a lot of things out of protest. Things haven't come and been given to us on a silver plate. We will continue to protest in different ways. We haven't given it up."
Mrs Harawira said giving a helping hand to Mr Key when he arrived on Te Tii marae yesterday was "not about politics" but about welcoming newcomers to the area, allowing them to arrive on the marae with dignity.
- NZPA
