The five-strong Maori Party caucus met today to consider what it wants from the National Party if it is to have any part in the next Government.
National leader and Prime Minister-elect John Key spoke with Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia last night, discussing the possibility of working together in some way, despite National not needing the Maori Party to govern.
Mr Key is due to meet the Maori Party leadership tomorrow to discuss how the parties can work together, after which they will consult with their membership before making their decision.
Party president Whatarangi Winiata told TVNZ's Agenda today that any deal with National needed to be "mana-enhancing".
However, he did not say entrenchment of the Maori seats was a condition for working with National, saying that establishing a good relationship was the most important thing.
The Maori Party wants the Maori seats entrenched -- meaning a 75 percent vote in Parliament would be needed to disestablish them -- while National's policy was to abolish them by 2014.
Prof Winiata said last night he did not expect National to abolish the seats, given the level of Maori support for them.
Prof Winiata and co-leader Pita Sharples said the most important thing to discuss was establishing a good relationship with National and then seeking to make policy gains.
Dr Sharples said a ministerial position wasn't as important as gaining some budgetary responsibility.
"So many of our people are in a dependency relationship and a lot of money's been wasted negatively and that's how it's grown up," he said.
"It's time to bust that down now and take some of that money and use it positively." The Maori Party was unlikely to seek a coalition but Mrs Turia said a relationship similar to that which Labour and the Greens had in the last three years, or one such as that with NZ First, with ministers outside cabinet, were possible.
Dr Sharples told TVNZ's Marae programme there were other possibilities, including dividing up portfolios such as health and education.
"For example in education, there's a whole kaupapa Maori thing and various other areas which we're experts in. Perhaps those things can be isolated out and put into a portfolio." Mrs Turia said the consultation period might take less than six days, much shorter than last year, when 28 hui were held.
"The hui will be significantly different this time because we won't need to consider Labour in the equation. We will be talking strictly about the relationship (with National) and what's being offered to Maori." Dr Sharples realised the Maori Party didn't have much bargaining room because it wasn't needed for a Government but he was confident National wanted to build a good relationship.
"It's in his own interests to last longer than one term. Everyone knows that you've got to have friends to carry on and I think tactically it would be a good move from John." Though Labour won the most party votes in the Maori electorates, Te Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira said it was worth seeking out gains with National.
"I think that the Maori Party deserves an opportunity to step up to the plate, to deliver outcomes for Maori that neither National or Labour have been able to deliver for the last 50 years." The Maori Party caucus went up by one yesterday with the election of Rahui Katene in Te Tai Tonga.
A lawyer specialising in Treaty of Waitangi settlements, she told Marae she could bring legal expertise to the party that the current party members lacked.
She said the negotiation process would be exciting but said it was important the Maori Party remained independent.
Her victory meant the Maori Party won five of the seven Maori seats. In the other two, Labour cabinet ministers Parekura Horomia and Nanaia Mahuta held off the challenges of Derek Fox and Angeline Greensill respectively.
