The Maori Party is cautiously accepting the government's pledge to include a treaty clause in legislation covering partially sold state assets.
It was so concerned the clause would be scrapped in new legislation that it threatened to pull out of its support agreement with the government but that seems to have been averted.
"We are cautiously optimistic that the government took our stance into consideration and will look to securing an adequate resolution on this issue," co-leader Tariana Turia said on Thursday.
Four companies, Mighty River Power, Meridian Energy, Genesis Energy and coal miner Solid Energy, are going to be removed from the State-owned Enterprises Act so 49 per cent of the shares in them can be sold.
The legislation has a clause in it which prevents the government acting in any way contrary to the Treaty of Waitangi.
Although the clause is vague, Maori political parties raised strong protests against scrapping it under the new legislation.
Ministers said earlier on Thursday they had finished consultations with Maori - 10 hui were held around the country - and detailed decisions would be announced within weeks.
"Subject to cabinet decisions, the government intends to include a provision in the new legislation reflecting the concepts of the existing section nine (the treaty clause) of the SOE's Act," Finance Minister Bill English and SOE Minister Tony Ryall said in a joint statement.
Mr English has previously said a treaty clause could cover the government, as majority shareholder, but it would be legally impossible to bind private shareholders to treaty obligations.
NZN