ACT leader and minister David Seymour said he doesn't think protests during a morning of 'Nationwide Māori Action' are "going to win people over".
Seymour, who will take over as deputy prime minister from Winston Peters in 18 months' time and was recently appointed Minister for Regulation, said the protesters had a government that was "proposing a dialogue".
There were large gatherings in many centres this morning, backed by Te Pāti Māori, taking aim at the coalition's policies related to co-governance and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
"Yet these guys don't want to have that."
He spoke to 1News after walking through a convoy of cars to order coffee near Parliament.
The convoy had been slowly moving up Molesworth St past Parliament, waving flags and tooting horns.
As he spoke, one member of the public yelled at Seymour and said he "should be ashamed" of himself.
"You bring shame on this country."
Seymour said protesters couldn't be very good debaters "if you have to swear at people and toot your horn".
He said protesters were "accusing people who want all people to be treated the same, of racism".
"That's not just a little bit wrong but the total opposite of the definition of racism but there you go."
As part of the coalition agreement, ACT's Treaty Principles Bill will be supported through to select committee stage.
Earlier, ACT MP Simon Court said of the convoy of cars "I mean, clearly they're not too worried about climate change".
Also earlier, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said the mass action was not focused only on government policy and promises but "an activation of our people" and the "reignition of the fires our tīpuna left us".
"This is about tangata whenua and tangata tiriti standing together for an Aotearoa hou (new New Zealand)."
"Over the next three years we're going to see a lot of harmful policies, the erasure of our language within the public sector, the erasure of te Tiriti o Waitangi in many of the legislative processes that happen in this House.
"We will not be erased, we will not subjugated, we will not be assimilated. We will stand together and we will fight to ensure te Tiriti o Waitangi is honoured and that the promise to tangata whenua and tangata tiriti is upheld."
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