The interpretation and definition of partnership and co-governance under Te Tiriti o Waitangi has been back in the public eye generating claims of division and race baiting politicking.

The ACT Party is campaigning for a referendum on co-governance, with leader David Seymour saying there has been a quiet 40-year shift in the way Te Tiriti o Waitangi is interpreted, and the government was seeking to create division.

Maria Bargh is Associate Professor at Te Kawa a Maui at Victoria University and specialises in Maori and Environmental politics.

She spoke to Māni Dunlop about co-governance.