Analysis-New Zealand's swing right on Maori issues reveals new fault lines

FILE PHOTO: People take part in a march led by New Zealand political party Te Pati Maori to demonstrate against the incoming government and its policies, in Wellington, New Zealand, December 5, 2023. REUTERS/Lucy Craymer/File Photo

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Plans by New Zealand's conservative government to roll back Maori rights reforms have revived race as a hot political issue in the Pacific nation, which was previously lauded globally for its advances on Indigenous matters.

Thousands of protesters have taken to New Zealand's streets this month against proposed legislation and plans that critics describe as the most significant step backwards for Maori rights in decades, but which the new government says address voters' concerns about the direction of the policy in recent years.