There's growing concern the debate on co-governance is fuelling racism, and politicians are being accused of contributing to the problem.
The power-sharing model is a hot political topic that's ignited important discussions about democracy and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
But protesters at a recent anti co-governance event in Auckland, led by controversial evangelist Julian Batchelor, said it was also stirring up harmful inaccurate claims about Māori generally.
"Racism is unacceptable in Aotearoa. If you have a problem with co-governance, kei te pai (that's ok), but you shouldn't have to use racism to make that point," said activist Pere Huriwai-Seger.
"People are comparing treaty settlements to segregation and apartheid. Words like this are being repeated by our politicians. We're seeing it seep into the narrative of members of the everyday public."
1News spoke to attendees at the meeting who made a range of unfounded claims against tangata whenua.
"It's the Māori elite that are bastardising the system and prostituting their own people that I have a problem with," one man said.
“Treaty of Waitangi settlements are not passing down to the Māori on the street…. the plastic Māori get the whole lot,” said another.
None of the people 1News spoke to could provide any evidence to substantiate the claims.
“I've seen Māori around fighting over a sheet of iron on the beach," one man said. "If they got the money from Treaty settlements, they wouldn't be in this position."
Carwyn Jones, a Māori law and philosophy lecturer, said politicians needed to take some responsibility.
"I think politicians have contributed to the anti-Māori feelings we have seen online and other places around that issue of co-governance," he said.
"They have done that by creating fear and concern around what co-governance might look like without talking to any specifics around what has been proposed in the Three Water reforms."
ACT Party Leader David Seymour, a vocal opponent of co-governance, rejected that.
"ACT has consistently said is that each person is entitled to universal human rights," he said.
"We have been very specific. We say that if there's going to be the governance of Three Waters assets, all of which have been created post-treaty in democratic communities, they should continue to be democratically governed."
He said labelling someone's view as harmful or misinformation wasn't helpful.
"There are things that I would say are wrong but also each of them have a right to say it, and its better to have a discussion and debate."
Pere Huriwai-Seger said he wasn't opposed to debate.
"Any time you're using these divisive words, I think its unhelpful."
Co-governance is expected to be a continuing topic of discussion in the lead up to the election.
"We all do better when we have a range of perspectives, and views at the decision making table. It's nothing to be scared about, sharing decision making power, and it happens all the time in all types of different contexts," said Jones.
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