National Party leader Christopher Luxon says on his first visit to Rātana, it's a great venue where you can "have some honest conversation with each other".
Political leaders, including outgoing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, have gathered at Rātana Pā for the annual festivities.
The annual political pilgrimage traditionally marks the beginning of the political year, though Ardern's retirement announcement last week saw that superseded.
Luxon claimed the Māori economy had boomed under previous National governments, and the party had also delivered innovations alongside Māori.
"I think about Kōhanga Reo, I think about Whānau Ora, innovations that were delivered within the coherency of a single system of delivery of public service."
He acknowledged the party had work to do on diversity.
"We are a party that had a poor election result, we did not have the diversity that we want to have going forward, but I'm incredibly proud of the progress we've made and I'm proud of the candidates that we'll take to the election in 2023."
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
He also addressed "the big topic of the day and of the last few years - which has been that word co-governance".
"I think it has been quite a divisive and immature conversation over recent years, and I personally think it's because the government hasn't been upfront or transparent with the New Zealand people about where it's going and what it's doing.
"We believe in a single coherent system - not one system for Māori and another system for non-Māori - for the delivery of public services. Things like health, education, and justice, and critical infrastructure like three waters.
"It doesn't mean that we don't want Māori involved in decision-making and partnering with Māori, we have a principal objection because New Zealand has one government: it's elected by all of us, it's accountable to all of us, and its public services are available to anyone who needs them."
He repeatedly said New Zealand had huge opportunities ahead of it, but "it will require a National government to actually get things done".
"And while we oppose co-governance of public services as just discussed I want you to know the National Party wants a New Zealand where Māori success is New Zealand's success."
Luxon said what he was trying to clarify today was that co-governance had been "messily handled and explained by this government ... and as a consequence become increasingly divisive across New Zealand.
"I was comparing and contrasting it with say the Treaty settlements process, where there was real courage and real political capital and we took people with us with Jim Bolger and Doug Graham's work in subsequent governments."
"What we are highly supportive of is Māori success and improving Māori outcomes, we just don't believe that's the right model by which to achieve that."
Luxon said he had "massive ambition for Māori" and he wanted "diversity in the bloodstream of the National Party ... I appreciate it'll be tough in the Māori seats but we still need to show up and present our centre-right politics and principles and beliefs to all communities across New Zealand."
"The treaty brought us together as one people, do you know what I mean, and yes there's different interpretations of it but if you go back to the origins of it there was strong intentions that actually this is what binds us together as one country."
A farewell - and a test
The event will serve as a de facto farewell for Ardern and a test of both new Labour leader Chris Hipkins' and Luxon's connection with Māoridom.
The political history of Rātana goes back to the late 1920s, when Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana announced that members of the church would stand in the then-four Māori seats.
They announced a formal alliance with the Labour Party in 1936, but welcome visitors from all political parties.
More to come...