Maverick Maori Party MP Hone Harawira won't be voting for the new foreshore and seabed legislation that his party fought for.
Prime Minister John Key said party co-leader Tariana Turia told him of Mr Harawira's decision this morning. She did not go into details but said that they had lost one of the flock.
"It's highly predictable and quite frankly we would never be able to pass legislation that would satisfy Hone Harawira, nor should we because that would not reflect the views of the majority of New Zealanders," Mr Key told reporters.
"If he doesn't vote for it, I don't care."
The loss of one vote will not stop the bill passing but shows a split in Maori Party ranks.
The Maori Party was formed when Mrs Turia quit Labour over its foreshore and seabed law.
Her party has fought to get agreement on repealing that law and replacing it with one that gives Maori more rights -- such as the ability to get customary title to parts of the coastline -- but Mr Harawira does not think it goes far enough and concerns have been raised about the ability of iwi to prove continuous use and occupation since 1840 to get the title.
Mr Key said Mr Harawira's position gave him confidence that the Government got the new legislation right.
"It was always the risk that Hone might peel off, he always has the more extreme views and as I say I want legislation that is enduring and which the majority of New Zealanders can support. I think we got that about right the fact that Hone's not going to vote for it probably just confirms that."
When The Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill was made public last week Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell warned it might not be a final solution and Maori may want to revisit it.
The bill repeals the Foreshore and Seabed Act. That law was passed in 2004 by the previous Labour government following a 2003 Court of Appeal ruling in the Ngati Apa case that raised the possibility, in some narrow instances, for Maori customary title to convert into freehold title.
Widespread Maori opposition followed, and Mrs Turia quit Labour to form the Maori Party.
Mr Flavell had expected all five Maori MPs to back it. When the proposals were announced in June Mr Harawira said they represented "pandering to rednecks".
Mr Flavell said at the time it "would not be a very good look" if all the Maori Party MPs did not support the bill in Parliament.
Labour will support the bill through its first reading but its leader Phil Goff said the division showed the bill would not resolve the issue.
"What we would like to see is this resolved on an ongoing basis it appears that the Government hasn't got legislation that will do that."
He said National previously campaigned against Labour's law saying it gave too much to Maori but once getting into power said that Maori was hard done by. The Maori Party had complained Labour's law was a terrible thing but was now going to vote for something very similar.
"It's all about symbolism but it's very little change in practice... now it can't be iwi versus kiwi or this is the worst thing that's ever happened to Maoridom and both sides are satisfied with something that they said to the contrary before the last election."
