John Key’s unexpected resignation from the position of Prime Minister, and the subsequent jostling within the National Party caucus over the past week, offered a glimpse of attitudes of National Party MPs to Hobson’s Pledge issues.

Those who signed the Treaty of Waitangi would struggle to understand why an undefined and divisive term “the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi” came to be inserted in our legislation, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said at Waitangi.

A fracas between Mr Peters and Te Tii marae members on February 5 eclipsed a detailed speech he gave at the stone church in Paihia on February 3 in which he slammed legal chaos with activist judges, bureaucratic meddlers, treaty lawyers and a “Treaty Industry”.

Models for the allocation of fresh water were under discussion at a meeting between Prime Minister Bill English and the Iwi Chairs Forum on Friday at Waitangi.

Iwi leaders want allocation of a proportion of water in each catchment to iwi as well as direct involvement in decision making.  See http://www.maniapoto.iwi.nz/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/FINAL-Regional-Iwi-Hui-Presentation-July-2016.pdf

The Government wants to deal with this demand by shuffling the responsibility to local government.

We’ve reached the limits of what Government can do, the limits of Government grants and programmes, Prime Minister Bill English told Ratana members on Monday.

He was attending annual commemorations at the group’s settlement south of Wanganui. The event kicks off the political year.

Prime Minister Bill English absolutely made the right decision in staying away from Waitangi’s Te Tii marae for the powhiri, according to Ngapuhi leader David Rankin, one of many who spoke out in support of the decision.

The attendance of New Zealand's Prime Minister at that marae has been a vexed issue every year, with John Key making the decision not to go last year after being refused speaking rights and threats of protests.

A delay in slip clearing at Kaikoura over the cultural concerns of a local runanga draws attention to looseness in historic places legislation that enables delays and costs for little reason.

A local runanga halted slip-clearing on earthquake-damaged State Highway 1 and the rail link north of Kaikoura, on Thursday, over concern about exposing or damaging cultural sites.

Everything grinds to a halt once there is any claim of cultural significance or sacredness. 

New Zealand First voted against three Taranaki treaty settlement bills, last Wednesday, because they will force the Taranaki Regional Council to appoint six iwi members, three on the policy and planning committee, and three on the regulatory functions committee.

Parliament sat through extended sitting hours to pass the Ngaruahine, Te Atiawa and Taranaki Iwi Claims Settlement Bills through their third readings.

About 200 people attended the Hobson's Pledge public meeting in Tauranga on Tuesday, November 22, at the Hotel Armitage.

The standing room only meeting demonstrated the level of concern that exists with the current direction of National away from a democratic and equal New Zealand.

Auckland business manager Casey Costello quoted Maori leader Sir Peter Buck, who said “Beware of separatism. The Maori can do anything the Pakeha can do. But in order to achieve this we must all be New Zealanders first.”