Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations
The minister is tasked with multiple duties including, but not limited to, overseeing the negotiations of Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements.[3] Another key responsibility for the Treaty Negotiations Minister is to provide a Crown-backed apology to every claimant, once their settlement has been legislated, as a form of acknowledgement of the government alienation that led to the settlement being lodged, as well as an act of good faith with the hope of future co-operation between the two parties.[3] In 1997, then-Minister Doug Graham said, "The goal is to restore the relationship so that all New Zealanders can face the future without looking back at the problems of the past".[7] The next government action that was a forerunner for the establishment of the Ministerial position was the creation of the Treaty of Waitangi Policy Unit, under the Ministry of Justice, in 1988, which allowed for the Crown to bypass the Tribunal and advise policy for the negotiations of Māori claims.[9] Although most claims consist of small parcels of land, or financial reimbursement, there are few that are very substantial.