Iwi leaders say the consultation process around the sale of state assets is being rushed and is not good enough.
The Government is moving to ease fears over the removal of a treaty clause which makes it compulsory to consult Maori over the sell-off.
Finance Minister Bill English held meetings in Rotorua and Waikato today but his efforts to ease fears that new legislation won't retain section nine of the State-Owned Enterprises Act fell on deaf ears.
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English says there are three options on the table - keep the clause, which iwi leaders overwhelmingly support, modify it or remove it.
He says the Government will not jump to conclusions.
"The Government has put up some options. It's put them up in good faith and we're listening to the discussion and in the end we'll make a decision," he said.
Despite objections from the audience, ONE News cameras were kicked out of the Rotorua hui when it was time for the minister to take questions.
It was just one of many problems Maori have with the consultation process as the Government looks to push changes though by March.
"Too quick - definitely that's one of the concerns that we have, the way in which they've put this in place," said Tuwharetoa spokesperson Napa Otimi.
"At the end of the day I think the message was what part of 'no' don't you understand.
The Rotorua hui was attended by around 200 people. A group of vocal protesters were carrying a coffin with the Treaty of Waitangi written on the side of it, Tino Rangatiratanga flags and placards.
ONE News political reporter Michael Parkin said issues were only lightly touched on and it is hard to see what the Government will take away from the talks.
Water claim
In a bid to stop the sale of New Zealand energy companies the Maori Council is claiming ownership of the water used in Government-owned hydro power stations.
Parkin said the water rights issue was the focus of the meeting in Rotorua, with several people at the hui questioning the Government's next move.
Ahead of today's meetings, a specialist in indigenous rights said "one can understand why iwi are trying to protect their interest".
Professor Brad Morse from Waikato University said common law does not generally view water as ownable but the issue is becoming more about "the bed" of the water than the surface water and the management of the water resource.
Morse told TV ONE's Breakfast the claim is over how water is used or exploited by energy companies and who controls that. He said the Tribunal is not binding but courts have proven very receptive to its rulings in the past.
"No one owns the water", says Key
The council made an application to the Waitangi Tribunal in which it claims Maori never gave up their ownership of the fresh water now used for power generation.
Prime Minister John Key is confident the Government is meeting its legal obligations despite threats of legal action over its plans to partially sell four energy companies.
"In my view no one owns the water. It's like air, no one owns the air."
