Tensions boil over at Cabinet

Water royalties policy architect David Parker is gearing up to go full steam ahead . . .

There’s one hell of a stoush brewing in Cabinet over freshwater rights.

If there’s one thing water-related that Labour and NZ First will never agree on it’s giving Ma¯ ori ownership rights to freshwater, and as for the Greens – they won’t have a bar of continuing any largescale irrigation schemes.

The water issue has been bubbling away for years – there’s a reason the National government never did anything substantial – it’s a Pandora’s box.

National had its supply and confidence partner, the Ma¯ ori Party, to deal with during the last nine years but that’s nothing compared to the issue Labour has with both NZ First and the Greens.

Labour’s water royalties policy architect David Parker is gearing up to go full steam ahead on water now that his focus on getting the CPTPP across the line is all but delivered.

Parker’s policy allows for a royalty on commercial water consumption, which will help with the cost of cleaning up waterways and resolving long-standing Treaty water claims.

It’s understood there’s huge tension between Parker and Crown/Ma¯ ori Relations Minister Kelvin Davis, who is feeling sidelined by Parker’s determination to make progress on water rights quickly regardless of whether that’s the right approach for iwi.

Davis wants to learn from past mistakes with the Foreshore and Seabed legislation, which led to Ma¯ ori voters leaving Labour in droves, and changes to how the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) scrutinises forestry.

Davis is said to be furious about the pace in which the OIO changes were pushed through, leaving no time for genuine iwi consultation, and is warning Parker the brakes need to go on before he opens the floodgates on freshwater rights.

Ma¯ ori put their faith back in Labour at last year’s election when they returned all seven Ma¯ ori seats to the party and banished the Ma¯ ori Party from Parliament in the process.

But with those seats comes expectation. Davis knows that and while Parker might see a big legacy on the horizon if he can get freshwater rights resolved once and for all, if he doesn’t get it right for iwi then it’s Labour’s Ma¯ ori caucus who will wear the mess.

As for NZ First, it has its voter base to worry about and with Labour already starting to suck up its votes in the latest polls, so concern is warranted.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is staunchly opposed to any policy he sees as separatist and giving Ma¯ ori any sort of ownership over water will always be a step too far for NZ First.

The party can’t afford to sell out on that for the sake of a coalition government because it would come back to bite in the polls in 2020.

While Labour might have NZ First on board when it comes to charging water bottle companies, that’s about it.

The Greens are sitting on a supply and confidence deal with Labour that says no new irrigation schemes will be funded and the existing ones will be wound down.

Irrigation scheme operators are crying out for clear information on what that means but the advice seems to be almost non-existent as Labour tries to work out how to keep them and the Greens happy.

All these differences and relationship managing exercises are all part of a wider powerhouse growing within Cabinet – something the Greens don’t have a seat at.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Peters, Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Parker are the grunt behind any of the big decisions coming out of Government.

There’s a wider group – Justice Minister Andrew Little, Housing Minister Phil Twyford and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones have influence as well.

But that’s where Davis’ frustration grows further. He was made deputy leader of the Labour Party during the campaign and helped unite the Ma¯ ori vote behind Labour.

But he’s not in the inner circle in the same way Peters, Robertson and Parker are and it’s understood those feelings of being sidelined on issues like freshwater (where iwi relations are crucial) led to words between him and Parker ahead of Cabinet’s meeting last Monday.

Ardern and Peters were both in the Pacific leaving Davis as acting prime minister and chair of Cabinet committee.

But it’s understood things were delayed on Monday as Davis, Robertson and Parker had words about the way some issues were being progressed without fully considering the impact on Ma¯ ori.

All of this comes on the back of another meeting – this one between Little and leaders from the two groups divided over the mandate for the Nga¯ puhi Treaty settlement.

Davis, Jones and Peters all descend from Nga¯ puhi along with a number of other MPs but even they don’t all agree on the best way to reach a settlement.

The meeting in Wellington was leaked to media despite a promise from the four iwi representatives to keep it secret.

Little is adamant he can get a deal on the table with the country’s largest iwi by 2020 but that will require a bit of compromise from all parties involved.

While Tuhoronuku, the entity holding the mandate for negotiations, was accused by the former Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson of holding things up, it seems the pendulum may have swung the other way.

Representatives from Te Kotahitanga have a new opportunity under Little to be involved in the mandate but questions are being raised as to whether there are ulterior motives at play. That extends to suggestions some Nga¯ puhi who hapu to Ngati Hine are trying to keep their own separate deal alive.

That’s not an option the Government would consider but Little is running out of time before he will have to put an end to talks and just make a decision.

If that decision doesn’t please everyone there’s only one place it will go – the Waitangi Tribunal. That’s the same place that’s been dealing with freshwater rights issues, which have got so out of hand it’s made its way to the Supreme Court.

Between Nga¯ puhi’s settlement and Labour’s royalty policy there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge before the next election.