Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson has made his first public comment about the Tuhoe claim for ownership of the Urewera National Park.
Prime Minister John Key last week put a stop to talks on a deal that would have handed over the park to Tuhoe, saying it would set a precedent for other iwi claims.
Mr Finlayson refused to make any comment until Tuesday afternoon in Parliament when asked by Labour MPs whether government ministers' misleading and mocking of Tuhoe was acting in good faith.
Mr Finlayson replied that no minister had acted in that way, and the Government still hoped to negotiate a fair and durable settlement with Tuhoe.