PM hard to pin on treaty cutoff

By RUTH BERRY political reporter

Helen Clark appeared to be having a bet each way yesterday on whether a deadline should be imposed on treaty settlements, then told Parliament the Government had no intention of changing its policy.

It was the latest confusing twist in the Government's handling of its Maori policies, which some ministers signal may be open to significant change.

What remains unclear is whether the signals are largely about shifting perceptions or something bigger.

Helen Clark's comments follow suggestions made by Social Services Minister Steve Maharey in a Herald opinion piece yesterday that, "It is perhaps time to set a date when all grievances must be settled so we can all move on".

The Government has previously firmly rejected Opposition calls to set a deadline.

Associate Maori Affairs Minister Tariana Turia reacted angrily to the proposal yesterday, annoyed that another major policy shift had been floated without proper consultation.

Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia hedged, saying the settlement process needed to be sped up but he had not considered a deadline.

Both ministers hinted they feared the proposal might be driven by a desire to suggest to the public the treaty would disappear when settlements were resolved.

"The sooner that's done [settlements] the better. But that doesn't remove those issues that relate to the treaty as a whole," Mr Horomia said.

Mr Maharey said although the idea was his own, people in the Labour party had canvassed the idea, which he had discussed with Mr Horomia and Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson.

Helen Clark, who read the opinion piece before it was printed, initially said: "I neither support nor don't support it. It's an idea that's been around and I'm sure it can be considered."

Later in Parliament she said the Government continued to believe it would be feasible to settle claims within a 10 to 15-year timeframe.

She was asked by Act deputy leader Ken Shirley how she could reconcile Mr Maharey's proposal with Ms Wilson's recent comments that it would be impossible to set a firm deadline.

"There is a great difference between setting a time frame and setting a final date beyond which nothing will be considered," she said.

Asked by United Future leader Peter Dunne whether the Government would consider adopting a more formal timeframe, she said: "It is not the Government's or my intention to be any more formal than I have indicated today - which is that we can see a timeframe ahead of us and we want to keep to that rate of progress."

Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission chairman Shane Jones said yesterday that a deadline would only work if the Government was prepared to address key delays.

The most important and ultimately cost-effective way to speed up the process was to "slightly loosen the purse strings" and offer more realistic settlements, he said.

An unusually tight-lipped Associate Maori Affairs Minister John Tamihere meanwhile continued to appear circumspect.

Mr Tamihere has clashed with Helen Clark over the past few weeks and has been told to fall into line.

His refusal to quash rumours he might desert Labour when questioned by the Opposition over the issue yesterday suggests the junior minister's feathers are still ruffled.