Chris Finlayson: Former Treaty Negotiations Minister on the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill

Former Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson told Ryan Bridge that David Seymour has to realise this was never going to a civil debate due to the emotions involved. 

“The debate takes place against the backdrop of what I perceive to be hostile acts towards tangata whenua over the last year in terms of names and treaty principles… it’s a culmination of a number of things.” 

He said he might not have gone into government with the bill on the table if he was still in office. 

Finlayson said he was “appalled” by the behaviour in Parliament from all sides. 

“You don’t act that way in Parliament”. 

The former National MP also believes the party has moved away from its “conservative values”. 

Finlayson said he has had Māori approach him in public confused about who to vote for now as National no longer represents their values. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chaos in the House yesterday Parliament suspended. Here is Hannah Lafferty,
might P Clark and Willie Jackson, the Party of.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Doug Bryan, the Party of Christophin Lason's, Jim Bolger, Jenny Shipley.
None of those people would have been played the way
the Prime Minister has been played, mister Speaker.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Well, the former Treaty negotiations Minister chrisph Nason is with
us this morning. Good morning, Mordena. First of all, is
Willy Wright is National no longer? You know your party all?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
The National Party is a liberal conservative party. That's what
I joined, gee, almost fifty years ago, and I'm very
proud of the traditions of Hannah McIntyre, Bulger Rayam and
so on. I think we've moved away from that person.
That's pretty soon.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Do you think Luxeon's made a mistake in I mean,
I mean, look, if the choices either get into government
and swallow this dead rat or not, you would have
gone not.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
I would have probably gone not.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
I think here is this going to cost them at
the next election.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Well, that's interesting. A lot of mari come up to me,
which is not surprising. At the airport and so on,
and the white guy. See give me recently, I've always
voted National. Where am I going to go now? You see,
the debate takes place against the back of what I
perceived to be hostile acts against target Fenaware over the

(01:38):
last year in relation to names and treating principles and
certain am sort of actions and so on. So it's
the coupination of a number of things.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
The KKK comments, you know, did being a packer up
in the grille of Nicole McKee and David Seymour etc.
How does that play out with voters?

Speaker 2 (01:59):
With kiwis oh, I think that will be pretty appalled.
You don't behave like that in parliament. David's got to
realize it's not some kind of academic debate, sort of
a nice, polite little seminar that's been conducted. So there
will be emotions, that's for sure, but to behave with

(02:20):
them certain limits in the house.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
Are you still a member of the National Party?

Speaker 2 (02:25):
I think I am. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
Do you still want to be?

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Oh? No, I'm National to the cores in terms of
the key Bulger traditions and I just the party seems
to have moved a little way from that at the moment.
But you've got to be loyal to your tribe. But
I'm loyal to the traditions of the National Party and
what it stands for. It to liberal Conservative Party is

(02:51):
not a conservative party and you've got to stick with it.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
What about the decorum and Parliament? How you had to
feel for Jerry Browne? Yes today rock in a hard place.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
Oh, Brud, he's big enough to deal with those sorts
of things. I don't have any sympathy. He can deal
with it.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
What happens with the Select Committee? I mean, if you
have this type of rhetoric and this type of display,
you know, for six months, how that's a bit disruptive.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yeah, it's going to be a disaster rectory. You're going
to get the craziest on the right and the craziest
on the left coming in and you'll get some sensible submissions,
but it's not going to be a particularly pleasant experience.
I think James Meaga from ring Ga Tata is going
to be cheering it. He's a very capable person. But
it puts a lot on the system and be'd have

(03:41):
to deal with a lot of this stuff.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
All right, Chris, just before we go, you staid at
the start of this. You probably wouldn't have gone into
government over this issue.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
No, I didn't know. I guess. Look I if that's
what was communicated, No, I would have adopted perhaps a
harder line. I get the I know what Key did
over the kilmed X legislation. He just said to next
month and me went down this office was not proceeding,
and I think Kean would have said to see, well

(04:12):
you're not getting it, callers plan and call us buff
and the seam where it had a tantrum, and said well,
I'll go to the cross benches. I know what Key
would have said. He would have said, yeah, fine, do
that and I'll standings to you personally and him with
the next colection, I'll destroy you. So you've got to
be fairly half noted.

Speaker 1 (04:30):
Apreciations all right, Kristin Lison, it was good to have
you on the show. That's former treaty negotiations Minister. Kristin
Leason thed.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
For more Familily edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live to
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