Claims National put politics ahead of achieving a just settlement with an Eastern Bay of Plenty iwi are wrong, according to former Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Chris Finlayson.
The Waitangi Tribunal released its report into the Whakatohea Mandate Claims this week, finding the Crown breached treaty principles by prioritising its political objective of concluding settlements by mid-2020 instead of a process fair to Whakatohea.
The tribunal also found the Crown should have given more weight to opposition expressed by several Whakatohea hapu to the Pre-settlement Trust instead of picking and backing the group considered most likely to achieve the Crown's objective of a quick settlement.
"This not only caused prejudice to Whakatohea, it also puts at significant risk the prospect of durable settlement based upon a restored Treaty relationship," Judge Michael Doogan, presiding officer for the inquiry, said.
The tribunal said those opposed to the mandate had good reason to feel that their concerns were not given a fair hearing.