Sharple says Key assured him he would not abolish Maori seats

ONE NEWS: A key Maori Party staffer has backed co-leader Pita Sharples' claim that National leader John Key gave an assurance he would not abolish the Maori seats without Maori consent.

But National deputy Bill English has told NZPA he backs Key's version of events.

National has promised to dump the seats around 2014 when the party hopes to have all Treaty of Waitangi historic grievances settled.

But Sharples told Sky TV this month that Key had said during a relationship-building meeting between the two parties that the seats would not be scrapped without Maori agreement.

"I've pinned him down. I said, 'you admit to me that you won't get rid of those seats until Maori people say yes' and he said that's what he would do."

Key denied he had said that and did so again in TVNZ's leaders debate on Tuesday night, repeatedly saying there was "no formal agreement" over the issue.

But in a minor parties forum on Auckland's Alt TV on Wednesday night Sharples stood by his claim.

And his chief of staff Harry Walker told the New Zealand Herald that Key was clear in the meeting that National's position could be put on the backburner.

Walker and English were also present at the meeting where the issue was discussed.

But English says while the matter was discussed, his recollection matches Key's - there was no agreement.

"John's position has been consistent that he will not negotiate with anyone before the election," he told NZPA.

The Maori Party has a policy of entrenching the seats and if the party holds the balance of power after the election National will have to cut a deal if it wants to form the next government.

Sharples said on Alt TV that straight after Key had agreed with him over the seats issue English changed the subject.

"The way it all started was that I was explaining what would be our bottom line, that the seats cannot go unless Maori say so, and I kept saying that, and in the end he sort of agreed and agreed and agreed, so maybe in his own head he thought he hadn't agreed, but he had."

Deputy labour leader Michael Cullen has called on Key to clear up the confusion.

He says Key is "slippery" and cannot be trusted.

Labour leader Helen Clark has also chimed in, saying she believes Sharples' version of events. She knows him to be an honest man and believes Key has again said one thing in public while saying something completely different in private.