Maori fisheries talks get some agreement

Press, 29 September 1988, Page 3

Maori fisheries talks get some agreement

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

“Agreement on the principles but not on the technicalities” is how Government and Maori leaders were describing their meeting yesterday on the contentious Maori Fisheries Bill, x

The two parties will meet again in two or three days to consider written submissions on the bill from Maori leaders. The meeting came after the filing of proceedings in the High Court at Wellington on Tuesday alleging negligence by the Crown, a breach of trust for failure to fulfil obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi to protect Maori fisheries, and Crown trespass along the entire coastline. Both parties said after the meeting that they were most unwilling to have the matter go to litigation. Mr Matiu Rata, one of the Maori leaders, said, there were “fishooks” in the Government’s proposal, but that was no reason not to go on with it. There were three as-

pects of the bill Maoridom would contest — the lack of commercial flexibility for Maoris, modification of their treaty rights, and denial of access to the courts. “We are seeking a commitment of faith from the Government because questions of depriving Maoris of their rights need to be looked at further,” he said. “But the fact that we cannot buy all aspects of the bill is no reason why we cannot work our way through them.” Maoridom was not seeking concrete assurances from the Government, but preferred to keep going rather than have to take their treaty partner to court. One of the main complaints with the bill was a clause that prohibited for all time the right to file

fisheries claims under the treaty in court, which Mr Rata said some people were “condemning as apartheid.” The main message his group had wanted to get through to the Government was ah appreciation

of the seriousness with which they regarded the matter. ■ The Government was represented by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, and the Minister of Fisheries, Mr Moyle. Mr Palmer said it had been a long and amiable meeting. The Maori leaders would now make written submissions for the Government to consider and then hold a further meeting. “There is good cause for optimism that the bill’s basic policy is going to be acceptable,” he said. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, said the inadequacy of the bill was shown by Mr Palmer’s agreement to hear submissions from Maori leaders outside the select committee process.