We can't help but wonder...

OK; so what was "insulting" last week is now is now just a difference of opinion; Stuff reports:

Heading into last night’s meeting, Mr Key refused to backdown from his previous statements and said he would not be apologising to the Maori Party.

But after a lengthy meeting, Mrs Turia emerged to announce the Maori Party was pleased with the outcome and had won the assurances it was seeking.

‘‘There are particular issues our people had written to us about in the last week, they wanted a resolution about and we think we’ve achieved that.’’

The main concern was that National would legislate away any Maori rights and interests over water - in the same way Labour did to Maori customary rights over the foreshore and seabed following an appeal court ruling in 2003.

Mrs Turia said Mr Key had given a firm commitment that National would not do that.

‘"That’s what they have told us tonight. They say they have always believed Maori have rights and interests in water.’’

She said they had discussed Mr Key’s apparent dismissal of the Waitangi Tribunal and he had explained that ‘‘all he was doing was reiterating the law as it stood today’’.

‘‘We have accepted his response to that ... he didn’t need to apologise.’’ 

We can't help but wonder who beat this non-story up the most; the Maori Party MP's themselves, their political opponents, or the media? We suppose that we should be glad that last night's hui was held behind closed doors, rather than over a cup of tea in a cafe.

But at least Mrs Turia has stated what we knew all along; that far from making a faux pas as some suggested, or from playing the race card as others suggested, all John Key was doing was "reiterating the law as it stood today’’; something that ought to have been patently obvious to all who tried to make political capital out of this non-event.