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Whether the Treaty Principles Bill is enacted or not, its impacts will not fade for a long time, a Waitangi Tribunal report said on 5 November.
So far, it seems the Tribunal’s prediction was right.
The Bill aims to set out the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi in legislation, and require, where relevant, those principles to be used when interpreting legislation.
Unrest about it and other government policies targeting Māori is stirring the country.
Friction emerging
The Treaty Principles Bill had its first reading in Parliament on 14 November. A Te Pāti Māori-led haka followed, disrupting proceedings.
Four days later on 18 November a huge warrior-led hīkoi arrived at Parliament.
Over 200,000 people signed a petition to Parliament opposing the Bill.
ACT leader and Bill proponent David Seymour’s own hapū has stated “Ngāti Rēhia oppose everything this bill stands for”.
Seymour says he wont “bow down” to his hapū’s leadership. He alleges the hīkoi presented no coherent objection to the Treaty Principles Bill.
Many people have little or no knowledge of what the Treaty says. Nor do they understand what the fuss is about.
Divisive Bill
The ACT Party argues defining the Treaty’s principles would benefit all New Zealanders.
Although many are against the Bill, ACT argues it’s not divisive as it aims to benefit everyone, explains NEWSTALKZ Be Political editor Jason Wolls.
But the response to it from Te Pāti Māori, Party Marti, the Greens, Labour – including National Prime Minister Christopher Luxon – show it is divisive “because it does essentially do that – create division.” ACTs coalition partners don’t support it either.
Despite this, ACT will continue argue the Bill is not divisive, Wolls says.
He thinks Seymour is using it to keep his own name at the front of the political debate, with the 2026 election in mind.
Most reports showing outspoken opposition for the Bill forefront Te Pāti Māori – although Labour – like National and the Winston Peters-led New Zealand First all voted against it at its first reading.
Seymour’s defiance of his hapū’s recommendations about the Bill hurts Ngāti Rēhia, say hapū rūnanga members. (A rūnanga is a tribal council or board.)
TThe Bill “goes against everything his hapū had fought for and “this hapū have serious concerns that [Seymour’s] bill will hurt our people.
“He has disregarded our voice and continued with this divisive kaupapa.”
Toxic supporters
At an ACT Party meeting in New Plymouth last Wednesday, the 200-strong audience was reportedly ” highly engaged on Māori issues” before Seymour arrived.
One said Māori were like seagulls: if you feed them “more come – and then they start c***ping on you”.
Another spoke of long-standing “self-serving reinterpretation of the Treaty to benefit the Māori elite”.
Another claimed before Pākeha colonisation and war, Māori “were killing each other anyway.”
Some spoke of defining Māori in percentages of ancestry. Others said isn’t brave enough to investigate Māori organisations with charity tax status.
What now?
The Treaty Principles Bill is unlikely to pass into law.
National Party and NZ First agreed to vote for it in the first parliamentary reading as part of their coalition deal with ACT, but have pledged to oppose the bill on its second reading.
The Bill is now subject to Parliamentary process and will spend several months being discussed by a Select Committee.
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