28 May 2014

Crown could do better - Finlayson

7:14 pm on 28 May 2014

The Crown could do better to help iwi transition into the post settlement world, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson says.

Mr Finlayson made the admission when he appeared before Parliament's Maori Affairs Select Committee on Wednesday, during which he updated it on the Post Settlement Commitment Unit set up a year ago to ensure the Crown honoured commitments made in Deeds of Settlement.

Mr Finlayson said he wrote letters to local authorities but working with iwi to help them into the new world and relationships was something the Crown could do better.

He was keen to make sure iwi were not left on their own once their Treaty of Waitangi legislation was passed, and that there was help to ease them into the post-settlement world, he said.