Waitangi Treaty grounds claim is "nonsense"

Reports that the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People could be used to support claims for the return of privately or trust-held land such as the Waitangi Treaty Grounds are nonsense, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Christopher Finlayson said today.

"It was predictable, but still disappointing, that some fantasists and bush lawyers would use New Zealand's affirmation of the DRIP as a basis for these sorts of groundless claims," Mr Finlayson said.

"Affirming the DRIP does not affect the existing legal framework of New Zealand. The Crown has clear policies on the way the government conducts the settlement of historical grievances in the Treaty process. These policies work well, and they are not affected by the affirmation of the DRIP."