By Lloyd Burr
In a matter of hours, the Maori Party will sit down for a crucial meeting with the Prime Minister about asset sales and water rights for Maori.
The party’s co-leader Tariana Turia is playing down speculation they will walk away from their confidence and supply agreement with John Key’s Government.
“We’ve never said we’re not committed to staying with this Government and those are issues that will be canvassed with him,” she says.
When asked if she was looking to leave the Government, she was cagey with her reply.
“Well that’s not a discussion I should be having with the media… The interesting thing about this discussion is that only the media have raised it.”
She says the Prime Minister is committed to Maori rights and interests, despite him saying Maori do not own the water and the Waitangi Tribunal’s recommendations can be ignored.
The Tribunal is currently hearing a submission by the Maori Council who claim water in rivers and lakes belongs to Maori and therefore the state-owned assets that use the water for power generation cannot be sold.
Ms Turia says as a Maori politician, she couldn’t comment on what she thought of the claim.
“Maori have rights and interests in the water and it is for Iwi to determine what those rights and interests are, not those of us who are Maori politicians,” she says.
Watch the video for Ms Turia’s response to media questions
3 News