Race relations debate comes to a sorry pass

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira. Photo / Mark Mitchell

If the Maori Party and the Government had any hopes of keeping the hornet's nest the Hone Harawira dispute had stirred up with him in Te Tai Tokerau, they were quickly disabused of the notion yesterday.

Having reaped some rewards for its strong stand against Mr Harawira's infamous email, Labour was aiming its sights wider - attacking National's deal with the Maori Party on all fronts in Parliament.

The lid that had been sitting on race relations debates since last year's election was well and truly lifted. On the block were the concessions National was considering for some iwi on the emissions trading scheme, and its sign-up for the Maori Party "whanau ora" policies so soon after it thundered up the polls on the back of Don Brash's 2004 Orewa speech railing against race-based funding.

Labour leader Phil Goff first tackled the Prime Minister about the so-called "sweetheart" deal which could see some iwi given concessions in return for dropping legal action against the Crown over the impact the emissions trading scheme will have on their Treaty settlements.

Mr Key tried to defend it, reeling off the advice Labour had received showing legal action was an issue and liability could be between $78 to $130 million.

Mr Goff countered with another legal opinion from Crown Law, which said there was no case for the iwi to go to court, and accused Mr Key of using the prospect as a "smokescreen" to push the deal through.

By way of retort, Mr Key used Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei - or at least a comment she made on Radio New Zealand about claims it was preferential treatment for iwi foresters. She ended with "it's a silly comment from Phil Goff, and playing to the worst kind of politics".

Mr Key ended with an emphatic: "I happen to agree with her."

Mr Goff shot to his feet to object, claiming that never once, in his entire Parliamentary career, had he "indulged in the politics of race".

Mr Key at first said he could not apologise for something Ms Turei had said before the Speaker persuaded him to at least withdraw. He did so, grin in place.

Next on the blocks was Social Development Minister Paula Bennett. Labour deputy leader Annette King wondered how she managed to convince National's other ministers of the merits of the Maori Party's whanau ora policies, given they had so vehemently opposed separate funding for Maori "and called it 'race-based funding'."

Ms Bennett claimed it would benefit all of New Zealand and added it would result in changes Labour was unable to deliver in its nine years of "heaping programme upon programme". The answer provoked further calls of "double standards" and "iwi/kiwi".

The tension was only slightly relieved by an exchange over whether Labour's David Cunliffe was right to call National's Bill English a "star" in a TVNZ promotion and Brendon Burn's attempt to table an email asking for Mr English's shoe, shirt and trouser sizes.

Tension returned with a vengeance when the new Green MP David Clendon questioned Mr Key about New Zealand's "100 per cent pure" tourism slogan.

Mr Key had been offered a cheque by Greenpeace to pay for his ticket to the Copenhagen climate change talks, but told Mr Clendon he would not be going.

"Anyway, I will be far too busy reading the comments from the co-leader of the Green Party about why she thinks that Phil Goff is a racist."

At this, Ms Turei had had enough. She said she stood by her comment on radio "but the description of them by the Prime Minister of this country was derogatory and disgusting. I ask that he withdraw and apologise."

For the second time - Mr Key did so with such a large smile on his face that Mr Goff loudly observed it was "about as genuine as Hone Harawira's apology". He too is told to apologise. And as the Maori Party gave Mr Harawira breathing space before deciding his fate, the Speaker called time, suggesting everyone took some "deep breaths".