Government won't back down on Tuhoe decision

The Government won't back down from its decision to refuse handing over Urewera National Park to Tuhoe, Prime Minister John Key said today.

Mr Key took the unusual step yesterday of going public with an issue that is central to a Treaty of Waitangi claim, saying he had told Tuhoe's chief negotiator Tamati Kruger that giving the iwi sole ownership of the park wasn't on the table.

Mr Key said he had "a good conversation" with Moari Party co-leader Tariana Turia about the decision on Sunday and she was disappointed, but understood the challenges.

However, Mrs Turia said the announcement was an outrage.

She issued a strongly worded statement yesterday, saying that the Government should reconsider its position and Tuhoe had behaved with honour throughout the negotiating process only to face an 11th hour rejection of their key claim.

"Te Urewera belongs to Tuhoe and the Government must reconsider its decision not to return it to them," she said.

"As a Maori Party leader I'm tired of the politics of race being brought into the equation -- this is an issue of leadership and justice."

Mr Key said the Maori Party's disappointment comes as no surprise.

"But we've said for a long time that vesting a national park solely in iwi would be a very unusual step. We haven't taken that before, and it would be a big step."

Tuhoe's chief negotiator Mr Kruger told media he understood there was a draft agreement that negotiators on both sides supported, and it was scheduled to be discussed at Cabinet yesterday.

He said there was no legal or practical barrier to giving ownership, and public access would have been maintained.

Mr Key disagreed that an agreement had been reached and said he had communicated clearly all along.

"The proposal falls outside the broad principles that have operated for other treaty negotiations."

"I'm personally keen to see a settlement concluded, but it won't be a settlement that has the vesting of the Urewera National Park solely in the people Tuhoe."

Though disappointed, Mr Kruger said the iwi would now regroup and consider its options.

"Our first task is to communicate the decision to Tuhoe people then seek an explanation from Cabinet in order to focus upon a way forward to an acceptable settlement.

"We had believed our engagement with the Crown over the last 18 months to have been sincere on both sides and we both wanted a solution that would work for us all.

"We still believe that is possible," he said.

Mr Key said he announced the Government's position on the settlement because Tuhoe was planning a hui on Friday and he had wanted the iwi to be aware of the Government's bottom line.