Beyond the Treaty of Waitangi: Maori Tribal Aspirations in an Era of Reform, 1984-2014

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