PremiumOpinionOpinion byChris Finlayson KCNZ Herald·21 Jun, 2026 03:48 AM10 mins to readChris Finlayson, KC, was the former Attorney-General under Sir John Key and negotiated many Treaty settlements.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon meets Hone Harawira on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds ahead of Waitangi Day on February 5, 2024. Photo / Michael CunninghamTHE FACTSParliament last year changed the foreshore and seabed law to make it harder for iwi and hapū to have customary title recognised.The Government says it is restoring the law to Parliament’s original intention.Former Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson says it is not, and is a response to Māori having had too many wins.This is an abridged chapter from a publication by the Helen Clark Foundation, Facing Up to Our Future: Challenges and Choices for New Zealand, featuring 21 of the country’s leading thinkers.
Jim Bolger, who was laid to rest in October 2025, was Prime Minister of New Zealand for
