21 In the last 30 years the re has been a marked move, particularly since the creation of the Waitangi  Tribunal⁵²,  to  deal  with  grievances  of  Maori  iwi,  particularly  in  relation  to unjust confiscation of their land.  Initially these were restricted to current complaints but the jurisdiction has now been extended back to 1840.⁵³    In the last few years there has been increasing pressure to determine the exact place of the Treaty in our nation’s life and for clarity about wider constitutional issues.  New  Zealand  is  like  Britain  in  that  we  do  not  have  a  single  constitutional  document.   Our Constitution Act 1986 is scant in its coverage. There has been sustained agitation and  a  number  of  conferences  to  consider  both  what  in  fact  our  overall  position  is  and more importantly what it should be.  No consensus has so far emerged. An  issue  arose  as  to  whether  the  Law  Commission  should  be  requested  to  become involved in an exercise to clarify the issues.  It is not the path which has been adopted, which   I   am   pleased   about.   Late   in   2004   a   decision   was   taken   to   have   a   Select Committee consider our current constitutional arrangements⁵⁴ and for the State Services Commission to do a stock take of the current position.    These are issues of high policy and principle rather than questions for legal analysis and determination.  I had a serious concern that if we had become involved in this issue our role would have become politicised.  Issues of high principle which require a long view and independence need not be off a Law Commission’s agenda, but this ha s become a very politicised question and there must be substantial concerns when that occurs.                                                  52 The Waitangi Tribunal was established in 1975 by the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 53   Treaty  of  Waitangi  Act  1975  s6(1)  was  repealed  and  substituted  on  6  January  1986  by  Treaty  of Waitangi  Amendment  Act  1985  No  148,  s3(1),  the  original  Act  restricted  complaints  to  “ any act which, after the commencement of this Act”  54   The setting up of a special select committee to review New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements was announced by Prime Minister Helen Clark on 13 November 2004 at an Address to New Zealand