Protests at Waitangi Day commemorations won't stop the Prime Minister going to the Marae, but he won't go if he's not invited.

Some have threatened to block John Key as he enters Te Tii Marae, saying it's an insult to sign the TPP only two days before.

MORE: Ngapuhi elder threatens Key with Waitangi ban

Mr Key said he'll always go - as long as the leaders of the marae want him there.

"I'm not going to gatecrash the lower Marae, but every year there's always been a call for me to not be able to go, or some sort of protest."

He cited previous years, when he was defending "the mixed ownership model, or mining" policies as examples of when he was told to stay away from Waitangi.

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Ngapuhi elder Kingi Taurua said he was pleased to hear Mr Key would not turn up if he was told not to.

"Good. Because I don't want him there." However, he said opinions were split within Ngapuhi about whether Mr Key should be welcomed and the hui would resolve that. He said it was possible he would relent. "But I can't understand why these people think they need to talk to the Prime Minister after the horse has galloped away."

His main concern was the lack of involvement of Maori in the TPP negotiations.

"The Government comes up to Waitangi every year and says 'we are partners'. But we are not partners. It's like the harbour bridge. We are just a clip-on and they are the main bridge."

Mr Key made a commitment when he was leader of Opposition in 2007 to return to Te Tii every year and said he hoped to do that.

"If they want to have a debate about TPP I'm more than happy to do that and I encourage them to listen because we can probably allay a great number of fears they've got. But I'm not going to gatecrash the place. If the governing body of the marae say they don't want me to be there, I won't be there."

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Additional reporting by Audrey Young for the NZ Herald