Bridges, more than Ardern, given he has legal training and she does not, would understand the dangers of doing what the Government is doing.
By indulging the protest, you raise hopes, in raising hopes you raise the possibility of a resolution, in raising that possibility you are potentially endangering the entire Treaty process. The message, if a cheque is written, is all deals are off. Go find a bit of land you think you have a connection to, park yourself and wait for the ministerial limousine with the bootload of cash.
Meanwhile Bridges saying what he has sounds sensible, rational, logical and - dare I suggest - just a bit adult.
The Government, mainly Labour and the Greens, look out of their depth, panicked, reactionary. Their go-to positron is talk, let's talk, and talk, and talk some more. They have no ideas, no plan, no decisions, no action - just lots and lots of talk.
This isn't actually an issue, it's a group of people with a grievance, that's not new. It's only got life because short of a clear idea, the Government freaked out and dipped their toe in, and it's been downhill from there.
Are we really any further along than we were weeks ago? No.
Why? Because talk isn't a plan.
That's why Bridges - increasingly with well-judged, nicely timed interventions into the issues of the day - looks like a well reasoned, steady pair of hands.
