KEY POINTS:
Noses should not be put out of joint that Helen Clark did not hongi Labour patron Owen Glenn at the opening of Auckland University's new business school building on Thursday night, a Ngati Whatua leader says.
The billionaire philanthropist, who has donated heavily to the Labour machine, has embarrassed the Clark Administration after claiming he was offered a ministerial post and the Government was planning to make him honorary consul in Monaco.
The opening of the Owen G. Glenn Building was always going to be awkward for the Government, which is part-funder in the venture with Mr Owen.
After mihimihi (speeches), Helen Clark sat alone while dignitaries from her side went to hongi the tangata whenua, Ngati Whatua.
Government minister Judith Tizard has been reported as saying that Ngati Whatua women don't hongi and so the Prime Minister didn't.
But Ngati Whatua leader Grant Hawke said Ms Tizard was confused. Women do hongi.
Before the event, tribal kaumatua decided that because of the space constrictions in the lecture theatre not everyone would hongi.
"We had to change the kawa [protocol] because of the space, Ngati Whatua agreed that that was the way we'd do it. We have the right to alter it," Mr Hawke said.
"I was in the second row and I didn't hongi. If everyone had [moved to hongi] we'd be running around falling around chairs - it was just awkward and difficult."
Mr Hawke said he had spoken to Ms Tizard and she hadn't fully understood the tribe was changing the way things were done - "which does not mean that Ngati Whatua women don't hongi. I don't think she meant it in the way she said it."
He said other components had changed for the evening - not just the hongi.
HONORARY CONSUL PERKS
* An honorarium of $5000 a year.
* Provision for expenses of up to $7500 a year.
* Limited immunities and privileges under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations but far fewer than diplomats, who are part of a diplomatic mission, receive.
* The kudos of being New Zealand's official representative in a country - which may lead to additional party invitations.
There are 60 honorary-consuls representing New Zealand in other countries. Their job is to provide support to New Zealand's objectives - such as improved relations and increased trade - in countries where there is no resident representation.
They do not receive a diplomatic passport, but do have consular responsibilities to protect the rights of New Zealanders travelling abroad.
