KEY POINTS:
Maori Party MPs dined last night with National Party leader Don Brash after earlier canning a planned dinner over his "few, if any" full-blooded Maori comments.
Dr Brash angered the Maori Party over his comments questioning whether Maori were still a distinct indigenous group.
Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples attacked the comments as a return to the "blood quantum" argument used in the United States when black people were denied civil rights.
At the time, Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia cancelled a dinner with Dr Brash and said the National Party leader had "fatal confusion" around the significance of the Treaty.
But last night the pair appeared to be putting that behind them after the Maori Party invited Dr Brash and some of his colleagues to a dinner meeting.
The spokesman was not sure what was being discussed but said the Maori Party had asked for the meeting which was "part of our usual relationships with third parties".
He said Dr Brash was always willing to meet the minor parties to discuss areas of similarity.
Also at the dinner were National MPs Tau Henare, Georgina te Heuheu, Paula Bennett and Clem Simich. National's Maori affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee was in China.
- NZPA
