Politicians have arrived at Rātana for annual celebrations, kicking off the political year.
It's likely to be a somewhat tense affair for members of the Government – including Prime Minister Christopher Luxon – as its policies on the Treaty and other matters affecting Māori continue to receive criticism.
"My message will be laying out where we are coming from as a Government and how we want to work and partner with Māori to deliver improved outcomes for them," Luxon said at a press conference on Monday.
A delegation from the Kīngitanga is also at Rātana and say they have brought the mauri (life force) of the historic hui held at Tūrangawaewae Marae last weekend, during which the Government policies came under fire.
Follow Newshub's live updates below.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is currently speaking with New Zealand media.
4:34pm - Luxon says National has “no intention” to support the Treaty Principles Bill past the first reading. He won’t rule it out though.
When asked why bother with the legislation if National won’t commit to supporting it, Luxon says "this is a MMP environment and it is something ACT wanted". He says compromises need to be made during coalition talks.
4:31pm - Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is speaking to media and says he enjoyed the conversation and reflections on the paepae.
He heard some of the challenges and said there are a range of views and people have a right to express them.
4:15pm - Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is speaking to media.
"I may have achieved the distinction of being the first politician to be booed at Ratana," he says.
He didn’t expect that when he spoke. But he says one speaker insulted him and Winston Peters, and had to respond.
"The notion that the Government is the enemy of Maori - as suggested by some - is just rhetoric and there isn’t a shred of accuracy that the Government is destroying Maori initiative," he says.
3:10pm - Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is currently speaking. He is using notes and begins by speaking in Maori before switching to English.
He says that he always intended to come to Ratana and National values its relationship with Maori. He is also proud of National's record of treaty settlements.
"The Government has no plan to revise the treaty or settlements," he says in response to concerns among some Maori. "The Government will honour the treaty, but it will honour it while upholding the equality of all New Zealanders."
He spends some of his speech focusing on education. He says all Kiwis should have equal opportunities and it is important for families to instill the values of education and get children to remain at school.
"National supports localism and devolution," Luxon says. He says the Government will work with whoever it needs to get outcomes, but it won't be establishing new authorities.
"It will focus on getting money to the frontline," he says.
"But the National Government needs to earn the money, before it spends it," Luxon says. He adds that requires a strong economy.
2:55pm - NZ First MP Shane Jones says that he and Winston Peters were back and open to ensuring we all grow together.
He says to come to Waitangi but not to think that the volume of language denouncing either him or Peters is going to "cause him to shut up".
Winston Peters is speaking about being at Ratana to acknowledge the Ratana movement. He says the people spoke at the election.
Peters says he didn't come to give a political speech, which led to some laughs in the crowd.
2:40pm - The Government's Tama Potaka is now speaking.
2:15pm - Speaker Rahui Papa of Waikato Tainui says that he noted there were only a few representatives of the Government at the hui on Saturday. He referred to the Government as a "three-headed taniwha". He welcomed the larger attendance at Ratana on Wednesday.
"Māori would not sit idly by if there was any meddling with Te Tiriti," he said.
That brought cheers from some in the crowd. There was no reaction from Luxon.
"Māori will do as much as we can to work with you," Papa says. "But Maori will pull every lever to protect the mana and sanctity of Te Tiriti."
1:36pm - Government representatives, including the Prime Minister, are being welcomed to Rātana. They are walking behind a large brass band.
1:22pm - Christopher Luxon says he isn't nervous for Rātana. He says the Government has a great agenda and will take the country forward positively.
Luxon repeats the National Party hasn't committed to supporting the Treaty Principles Bill past first reading. He again wouldn't rule out supporting it at second reading.
1:07pm - Winston Peters has arrived at Rātana.
He says the Treaty Principles Bill is not New Zealand First's and he won't waste his time at Ratana discussing it. He says the focus should be on the Rātana movement.
Peters keeps telling media to "naff off" as they ask about his party's position on the Bill.
12:47pm - Members of the Government have arrived at Rātana.
12:30pm - Labour MP Peeni Henare is currently speaking to attendees.
12:20pm - Labour leader Chris Hipkins is now speaking. He begins in Maori, before switching to English. He says Labour is there to acknowledge the Ratana movement as well as its relationship with the Labour Party.
He goes over some of the events of the past year, including the general election. He said not many people at Ratana would be happy with the result.
Hipkins says the new Government's agenda will take New Zealand backwards, mentioning the disestablishment of the Maori Health Authority, "rewriting Te Tiriti" and going back on co-governance arrangements. He says this Government has moved away from the positions of previous National Governments.
"The policies of this Government are emboldening others," Hipkins says, mentioning Hobson's Pledge. He says this can encourage and foster racism in New Zealand.
The Labour Party is committed to lighting the path forward and remains supportive of actions it took in Government, including establishing the Maori Health Authority, the leader says.
Hipkins says Labour didn't always get everything right. He says the Government didn't always bring non-Maori along with it.
12:10pm - Green MP Teanau Tuiono is currently at the microphone, the first MP to speak on Wednesday.
11:40am - Labour and the Greens have been welcomed to Rātana. Representatives are expected to speak shortly.
11:35am - Greens co-leader Marama Davidson said the party was at Ratana to support ongoing korero to uphold Te Tiriti.
She said it was a very important event and it was a snub and a "dishonour" for ACT not to be there.
Davidson said it looked chaotic that National and NZ First refuse to commit to supporting the Treaty Principles Bill past the Select Committee stage, while ACT is in support. She said it could stoke division.
She called on Luxon to listen to Māori at Ratana and uphold Te Tiriti. The Government should be upfront about what it stands for, she said.
11:30am - Labour MPs have arrived at Ratana.
Among them is Peeni Henare, one of the party’s most senior Māori MPs.
Speaking about the Treaty Principles Bill, he questioned why the Government was "wasting time and resource" on legislation that National says it won't commit to supporting past first reading and NZ First has said it won't support at second reading.
He said it might potentially be creating "more division amongst communities".
ACT, which isn't attending Wednesday's event, says the Treaty Principles Bill will provide an opportunity for New Zealanders to debate and define the principles.
11am - It's a beautiful day here at the pa. There are a lot of sunhats on. We are waiting for the first bunch of MPs to turn up. Labour is expected here just before midday.
10:30am - Kia ora, good morning and welcome to Newshub's live updates of Rātana events on Wednesday.
Today is the day that politicians make the journey to the Pā, traditionally give speeches, and also take media questions. It's considered the unofficial start of the political year. We will keep you up to date with the key moments here.
Here is a bit of a background on what Rātana is all about:
Rātana celebrations occur in late January each year to mark the birthday of Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana, who founded the Rātana church and religious movement in the early 20th century. The Rātana settlement is found south of Whanganui.
The Rātana movement became intertwined with politics in the late 1920s, with a number of members winning Māori electorates. Rātana met with then-Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage in 1936, forming the basis for an alliance with the Labour Party.
The annual gathering is typically seen as the start of the political year, with politicians of many stripes attending and speaking. As well as Luxon, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters and representatives of Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are expected to attend on Wednesday.
The event takes place this year amid contention over the Government's approach to race relations and the Treaty of Waitangi.
