“The Government was warned from the get-go that if it butted into the Ihumtao issue – a dispute over private land – other iwi groups would inevitably feel that their full and final settlements with the Crown were neither full, nor final.”
Seymour asked Robertson in Parliament on Tuesday what iwi and New Zealanders in general should think about a Government that told them the Ihumtao deal had no Treaty implications “and then tried to hide those details”. 
Robertson said the implications were worked through and the outcome “does not undermine” the Treaty settlement process. 
“What New Zealanders in general are seeing is a situation where there was a significant stand-off, there was an inability for Fletchers, who owned the land, to be able to pursue a development.
“What they’ve seen is a Government that actually wants to bring New Zealanders together for a settlement that will build houses and build a much stronger and more cohesive society.”
Another hidden section of the Cabinet paper shows there is a chance the land at Ihumtao won’t be used for housing despite assurances from the Government it will be. 
A redacted section of the Cabinet paper says: “Funds received from the sale of the land for housing or support for housing, or any other uses which are deemed to be more suitable than housing, will be returned to the Crown.”