2 Feb 2012

Waikato-Tainui leader backs Maori Party stance over Treaty

11:02 am on 2 February 2012

A Waikato-Tainui leader says the argument that people who buy into state-owned companies have to abide by the Treaty of Waitangi should be dealt with at a later date, but the Crown is a different matter.

The Maori Party and National are in a stand-off over Treaty obligations being included in the legislation to cover the partial sale of four state-owned energy companies.

The Maori Party wants private shareholders who buy into the companies to have to honour the Treaty, and it has warned it could walk away from its support deal with National.

But the chair of the Waikato-Tainui Executive, Tukoroirangi Morgan, says private shareholders are another matter, and his Iwi wants to invest in the businesses.

However, he does want the Crown to have to abide by the Treaty.