Trans Tasman sums up the Maori Party grandstanding over the changes to references to Treaty principles in the SOE Act needed to enable partial sales:
The Maori Party needs a win. For its own supporters it could not be seen to give way on this one although the point is largely symbolic. National needs to give them a win which won’t make a lot of difference. You can drive a herd of elegance over this, but the substance is still so much political dust and noise.
If a minority of shares is to be sold the government must do everything it can to ensure it gets the best price.
If the Treaty clause remained it would create uncertainty which would devalue the shares.
Besides, the Treaty was an agreement between the Crown and Maori, it doesn’t bind other people and can’t apply to companies with other shareholders the way it does to SOEs which are wholly owned by the state.
Key’s been revealed to be misleading New Zealanders in saying that Section 9 had not been used. Mai Chen and others have busted him on his untruths, busted him wide. Key’s response?
I got bad advice. We’ve heard that before from Key on several occasions – revealed as a peddler of untruths, passes the buck to some unnamed underling.
Waitangi Day at Te Tii – can’t come quickly enough.