Iwi won't get special preference for shares in state-owned power companies, Finance Minister Bill English says.
He's held two of 10 consultation hui about the partial sale of the companies and says he'll make sure iwi get the same opportunity as any other other investor.
Although Maori generally oppose asset sales, iwi leaders are looking at getting the best deal they can when 49 per cent of the shares in Mighty River Power, Meridian Energy, Genesis Energy and Solid Energy are floated.
"We're not looking at special preference for iwi but we are discussing how iwi are going to participate," he said on Thursday.
"They're not institutions like big fund managers, nor are they small scale investors."
Mr English says it isn't yet clear whether iwi will need a category of their own but they'll get the same opportunity as anyone else.
He told Radio New Zealand there had been good turnouts at the first two hui - about 500 attended the first one in Rotorua - and interest focused on how the government was going to carry over Treaty of Waitangi obligations in the new legislation that will govern the companies when they're partially sold.
The Maori Party has threatened to end its support agreement with the government over that, but the heat has gone out of the argument since ministers gave assurances treaty obligations would continue to bind the government as majority owner of the companies.
NZN