Radio New Zealand
Waitangi, February 5, 2018
Jacinda Ardern’s five-day visit is the longest any Prime Minister has made to Waitangi.
She has said that she wanted to ensure strong, open transparent relationships with Maori.
Follow RNZ’s live coverage of the day’s events.
Watch her speak to RNZ’s Mihingarangi Forbesat Waitangi this morning.
The Weight of Expectation
Ms Ardern rejected suggestions from reporters she was on a charm offensive, saying she and her caucus felt the weight of expectation from te ao Maori.
“That when we were voted in and specifically when those MPs – through hard work – won those Maori seats, we took with us a lot of hope and expectation about practical things: creating jobs, decent housing, lifting families out of poverty. So, yes we feel that expectation.”
Ms Ardern will speak from the porch of the whare runanga during the formal welcome this morning – a first for a female prime minister.
Unity of thought
Ngapuhi elder Pita Paraone said that the korero at Governor-General Patsy Reddy’s powhiri yesterday was cordial and humble, and he expected the same for Ms Ardern.
“Everyone was singing from the same song-sheet and I think it is an indication of people having had enough of what has happened in recent years and so wanting to ensure this year – having the ceremonies return to the treaty grounds – that everything was on song.”
National Party Reps
National Party leader Bill English will spend Waitangi Day at the other end of the country at Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff, attending Ngai Tahu’s Treaty commemoration hui.
The National Party will be represented at this morning’s powhiri with a delegation of 12 MPs, including senior MP Steven Joyce and Whangarei MP Shane Reti.
An organiser at Waitangi said the shenanigans of previous years had made iwi a laughing stock.
MPs from all parties will be welcomed onto the upper marae, Te Whare Runanga, this morning, before party leaders take turns at meeting with iwi leaders to discuss Maori issues and plans for the year ahead.
Political Talks
This is the first time the upper marae has hosted the Waitangi political talks – Te Tii Marae has traditionally been home to the powhiri and debate but after years of controversy the venue has been changed.
Organiser Pita Paraone said the decision to move the festivities onto the Treaty grounds was based on recent activities at Te Tii Marae.
“People of the north became the laughing stock amongst iwi from around the country. For people like myself, who travel around the country, we found that quite humiliating, to say the least. And so, the decision was made to change the venue and hopefully do away with the amount of shenanigans that used to happen in recent years.”
Mr Paraone said generally iwi and hapu supported the move and had responded positively to it.
Chris Bramwell is Deputy Political Editor of Radio New Zealand.
Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern with senior MPs. Photo by Shannon Haunui-Thompson (RNZ)
Indian Newslink has published the above Report and Photograph under a Special Arrangement with www.rnz.co.nz
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