Māori Minister unaware of Treaty Principles exclusion

Tama Potaka, the Minister for Māori Development, has expressed surprise that the new legislation to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA) will not include a Treaty Principles clause. He stated he first learned about this change when questioned by the media on Tuesday morning. Potaka admitted he had not seen any official documents regarding this matter. Later on Tuesday, he seemed to alter his response and said he did not understand the questions being asked about the issue. Chris Bishop, the Minister for RMA Reform, informed the media on Monday that the Cabinet had decided against including a Treaty Principles clause in the two bills that will replace the RMA. This decision has raised concerns among some Māori leaders and groups.