Claims to Treaty and other rights: exploring the terms of Crown-Māori negotiation

Abstract

This article delves further into that broad framework by considering the interplay between law and political negotiation, concepts of relationships between citizen and state, the role of rights in political debate, and the effect of concepts of indigeneity on all of these. The broad conclusion is that current legal and policy debates are constantly testing what is different about the state’s relationship with indigenous people, and when, why and how any difference is relevant. The debate must take place, but it needs to be approached with care as it touches on matters that go to the heart of our traditions of democracy and equality.

Diversity and public policy

“…Finally, in New Zealand, discussions concerning diversity and its relevance for public policy necessarily intersect as some point with the Treaty of Waitangi. Previous issues of the Policy Quarterly have already dealt in some depth with the nature, role and significance of the Treaty for contemporary policy-making (see Ladley, 2005;White and Ladley, 2005), so we will not discuss this matter in detail here. The question of how governments ought to respond to (increasing) diversity raises many issues.…”