I've been puzzling over the stream of insistent demands being made of the PM by 'Maori elite” for compensation for a variety of government 'misdeeds”, but assumed these were just demands. Then when the requests insisted first on 'Public apology”, however, the penny dropped, and I began to recognise the process, via the insistence on 'public” apology.
That is then interpreted as admission of culpability, very important. Which in turn, depresses the till key, the drawer flies open, and the public coffers ever dwindling, are open, invitingly.
The solution could therefore be - ignore the demand to publicly apologise, no matter what. This is our concern too. Do what seems necessary, and remember the vast majority of the public who have rights too, all the years of taxes intended for all the medical procedures etc required later in life, perhaps,and ignore the fear of UN censure breathing over your nervous shoulder, etc. All too often we hear the refrain, 'The government no longer funds that and the waiting list is too long. You'll have to go privately .” Surely, for example, the Kohanga Reo initiative is a Maori objective, not even subscribed to by all 'Maori”. And which surely should be funded by any self respecting iwi themselves. Instead, we hear from Maori elite, 'Legal appeal !” Then the demand that the costs of this are met by the government when that too fails. ($40,000, I believe?) We didn't get enough! Public apology called for! Isn't it monotonously cringe-making!

D. Holm, Tauranga.