Michael Belgrave

Beyond the Treaty of Waitangi: Māori Tribal Aspirations in an Era of Reform, 1984–2014

ABSTRACT New Zealands neoliberal reforms, ushered in by the election of the fourth Labour government in 1984, were almost completely unanticipated. But soon after the election, Labours emerging ambivalence towards the State found an ally in Māori political aspirations. The government sought to devolve state responsibilities, while Māori leaders demanded a greater role for tribal organisations, seeking greater control over Māori social and economic wellbeing. The Treaty of Waitangi provided the justification for Māori autonomy and the assertion of tribal sovereignty. Māori accepted, however grudgingly and provisionally, the Crowns dominant role as policy maker and funder. Governments in turn increasingly involved Māori in the provision of services, partially recognising tribal identities and organisations as providers of services and in Treaty settlements. Proportional representation gave Māori greater influence within the executive and the legislature, reducing the importance of the Treaty of Waitangi and the courts, and marginalising the role of the Waitangi Tribunal.