Analysis - If Christopher Luxon was trying to avoid controversy and challenge attending Waitangi Day in the South Island, it seems to have backfired.
The prime minister's attendance at Ōnuku marae saw protest, distraction and delay. It underlined his avoidance of Waitangi, and was met with a forceful message from the hosts.
This was his only Waitangi event. Every other Parliamentary party leader attended the pōwhiri at Waitangi the previous day other than Te Pāti Māori's leaders - who were there most of the week and left on Wednesday to attend the Tangihanga of Dame Iritana Te Rangi Ta Whiwhirangi.
Even ACT's David Seymour made an appearance - despite his own hapū urging him not to.
The prime minister arrives on Thursday. Photo: RNZ / Russell Palmer
Luxon's stated reason for heading south instead this year was "to celebrate where else the Treaty was signed throughout our country."
Labour leader Chris Hipkins argued nothing was stopping Luxon from doing both - a fact demonstrated by at least one Labour MP, Rachel Brooking, doing exactly that.
Ngāi Tahu invites the prime minister every year, and welcomed the significance Luxon's visit added to the 185th anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi's signing.
"At the end of the day, we invite who we want, and if they accept that invitation - that's on them," kaiwhakahaere Justin Tipa said.
"There were some really strong messages delivered, some strong challenges delivered ... it was provocative and there were no backwards steps taken."
The massive crowds initially expected at Waitangi did not eventuate, but the tiny town of Akaroa was packed. The school where manuhiri parked their cars filled up by about 8am and Akaroa Recreation Ground - a large grassy space - was quickly crowded too.
Buses shuttling the hundreds of visitors along the narrow access road to the marae delayed the prime minister's arrival - and all other proceedings - by 40 or 50 minutes.
The event was closely managed by Ngai Tahu with external media unusually prevented from filming their initial speeches, with access granted only for the Governor-General's speech onwards.
Things seemed to be going smoothly until pro-Palestine protesters led by John Minto - across the bridge leading to the marae - cranked up the megaphone during morning tea. They quieted after shouting a few slurs at National, but only long enough for Luxon's speech to begin.
For those in the back, the megaphone drowned out his words for several minutes, but he carried on with hardly a pause.
One protester in the crowd began shouting abuse and was quickly escorted out. Police later confirmed a man was arrested for breaching the peace.
"Police were speaking to several other protesters but there were no other arrests."
Minto said his group had remained outside the marae, having discussed protocol with the organisers who advised they could "make as much noise as you like" when Luxon began speaking. They put the megaphone down when requested by other staff.
Echoing his State of the Nation address just weeks earlier, it hinged on the need for economic growth, but pointed to the government's past work with Ngāi Tahu and what could be achieved when iwi and government cooperate.
"Today, Ngāi Tahu is a tremendous force in New Zealand's economy - driving change across property, tourism, fisheries and agriculture," he said. "But the success goes beyond profit - it's about creating lasting value for whanau and the wider community."
Tipa's response, however, sounded a warning over the Treaty Principles debate - a topic Luxon has appeared at pains to avoid in recent weeks.
"Too much of the conversation has been focused on abstract philosophical debates about the nature of sovereignty and the true meaning of liberalism ... used as smokescreens to advance shallow ideological agendas and play party politics," Tipa said.
"True political leadership is about meeting people where they are and synthesising the interest of various strands of society into a workable whole ... when there's an absence of this type of leadership, voices that represent comparatively simpler and shallower viewpoints begin to shine through."
"This is why our political debates - particularly those concerning the Treaty - have come to be dominated by minor parties: because our major parties are struggling to articulate a political vision that builds on the distinct character of the New Zealand nation ... instead, we get an ACT party neoliberal thought experiment posing as a faux source of moral principle and national unity."
He then laid down the challenge for his guest.
"A National Party that fails to take leadership on matters of fundamental importance to the identity of our nation is not worthy of its own name ... we do need growth, we do need investment, we should be ambitious. Ngāi Tahu wants those things too. But simply going for growth and liberalising the economy isn't going to cut it.
"We've got to have those disagreements in good faith - without making a mockery of the complex and contingent nation we've inherited. I think we're failing at that at the moment."
Luxon took all that on the chin, telling reporters afterwards there was "a lot in Justin Tipa's speech that I fully agree with and represents the philosophy of the National Party".
Whether Luxon has the courage to bring that philosophy more purposefully into his government's running of the country is up to him.
Note: Some audio is missing from the footage of the speeches at Onuku marae. This was due to poor connectivity of livestreaming technology in a remote location.
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