NEW ZEALAND – Prime Minister Bill English has acknowledged Ngati Whatua and the occupation of Bastion Point at Waitangi Day commemorations in Auckland.

Ngati Whatua hosted English in Auckland after he abandoned events at Te Tii Marae in Waitangi after being told he could not speak there.

It is the second year in a row the Prime Minister has not attended the traditional Waitangi event hosted by Ngapuhi.

English said celebrating Waitangi Day in Auckland, outside of Waitangi, provided a unique opportunity.

He said he wasn’t surprised to see the respectfulness, mana, discipline and humour today.

“New Zealanders will want more of this now they’ve seen it, because it does make people feel proud of what we’ve achieved, so that’s how we want the mood to be on our national day, now where that can happen is up for discussion.”

English said people will have to wait to see whether Waitangi Day celebrations were taken on the road.

English and an assembly of guests, including other ministers and opposition MPs, were welcomed onto Auckland’s Orakei Marae.

He told those gathered inside the marae he was grateful for the invitation, saying Ngati Whatua, and what happened at the Bastion Point occupation more than 40 years ago, showed New Zealand the way.

“We’ve had in New Zealand a generosity of spirit which we see shared here today but demonstrated in this place in the memories that are so fresh around Bastion Point.”

English said government and iwi relations had improved in the last decade and people now realised that success for iwi was success for everyone.

A 506-day protest against a proposed Crown sale of Bastion Point in 1977-78 became symbolic of Maori tribal land loss.

English earlier floated the possibility of having the official Waitangi Day celebrations in other parts of the country in future years.

In the absence of English, Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett represented the Crown at Waitangi. She led a group of ministers to the service. Members of the Labour and Green parties were also there.

Political leaders were invited to say prayers during the service.

Labour leader Andrew Little said it was a missed opportunity for English, but agreed with Bennett the service was a special and spiritual occasion.

“It is very special and the thing about what distinguishes New Zealand from the rest of the world, it is our Maori people, it is the treaty. This is the day we get to celebrate that and the prime minister of New Zealand should be part of that,” he said.

Little did not agree with Mr English’s idea of taking Waitangi Day on the road. It should be celebrated on the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi, as it had special significance there, he said.