It is now 30 years since the appearance of New Zealand Treasury (Government management: brief to the incoming government, vol 2, education Issues, New Zealand Government, Wellington, 1987), a key text that marked the start of a new era of education policy in Aotearoa-New Zealand. In his review of this Treasury text, Professor Grace (Br J Educ Stud 37(3):207-221, 1989) commented in some detail on what he termed 'taha Maori' in relation to the new policy direction. This article uses policy discourse analysis informed by a Kaupapa Maori research perspective to re-visit these two texts and review their arguments about Maori education. This research aims to contribute to a politically activist form of literature research, taking up a Kaupapa Maori research lens to go back to this Treasury policy text, critiquing its analysis and prescription for Maori education at a point in time just before Kura Kaupapa Maori took off.