The Prime Minister says he's "not hung up" on his deputy putting words in his mouth and muddying the waters on the Treaty Principles Bill.
Last week Christopher Luxon was clear at Koroneihana - the anniversary of the Māori King's coronation - that the bill had no future beyond first reading.
The next day he went further, saying National would vote the bill down at second reading - rather than letting it languish on the government's order paper for months or years to come.
But in the House on Wednesday Winston Peters, speaking on behalf of the prime minister, added confusion to the debate saying, "if there was prevailing compelling evidence to change one's mind, as a famous economist once said, when the facts change, I change my mind".
Labour leader Chris Hipkins says that's not just Peters' words, he was also making those comments as the prime minister, and that means Luxon has to answer to the ambiguity.
Speaking to reporters at Parliament on Tuesday, Luxon said, "I'm less hung up about it, at the end of the day my position is really clear and if the people of New Zealand don't understand it, I don't know how to express it any clearer".
File image. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
He told RNZ that Peters' position was "cleared up afterwards as well".
But when RNZ followed up the comments with Peters last week, he didn't explain why he had referred to a quote about changing one's mind when the facts change.
Instead, he reiterated his position that there are no principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
"To have a bill on the principles of Treaty of Waitangi that don't exist seems to National and New Zealand First to be nonsensical, however it's in the coalition agreement to let them try into a first reading and that's it."
Labour leader Chris Hipkins thinks the prime minister has to answer to the ambiguity. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The bill is a result of National's coalition agreement with Act. The party's leader David Seymour is working on drafting the bill that Cabinet is expected to sign off in the coming months before it is introduced to Parliament in November.
Luxon has written off the comments by Peters in the House as an "inside bubble beltway story".
In response Hipkins has said he suspects New Zealand First members are divided on the bill and that might be what prompted Peters to muddy the waters.
He also claimed Peters was "being deliberate" when he made those comments.