PM And Dunne Too Late On Treaty Inquiry

It's too late for Prime Minister Helen Clark and Peter Dunne to try and bag up the Treaty debate in an official inquiry when they blocked a specific proposal for one in 2002, ACT New Zealand Justice Spokesman Stephen Franks said today.

"To be fair, Mr Dunne did approve the inquiry after two months of dithering. But by then, the Greens, who originally supported my proposal to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee, had got cold feet or been pressured by Labour to join in their veto," Mr Franks said.

"Dr Brash is quite right. New Zealanders have moved on. They have lost patience and they've seen the Treaty industry for what it's been for Labour - a chance to feed perks and privileges to their voting bloc.

"Had Ms Clark's team been prepared to look at the place of the Treaty on a dispassionate basis a year and a half ago, it might have been worthwhile. Now the Select Committee inquiry would be bigger than Ben Hur.

"It's too late for the Prime Minister to try to remove the debate from the public and return it to its elevated plane as a topic reserved for the anointed elite," Mr Franks said.

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