Over the last 24 years, my work has involved estimating losses in commercial disputes and compensation for treaty breaches in countries around the world. These have included high-stakes cases involving the Yukos Oil Company in Russia, an energy business in Ukraine, and land claims under a treaty between Malaysia and Singapore. In every case, the Read more
Act Party leader David Seymour, who has whakapapa to Ngāti Rēhia hapū through his mother, rejects criticism from his hapū and others who accuse him of violating Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Despite his claim of Maori ancestry, he is defending his Treaty Principles Bill. His comments came as a hīkoi opposing the bill reached Parliament, Read more
A hīkoi opposing the Treaty Principles Bill has made its way to Wellington. Those who took part in the hīkoi, along with supporters around the country, both Māori and non-Māori, consider the Bill to be a betrayal of the commitments made at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Waitangi Tribunal has voiced its Read more
The hīkoi against the Treaty Principles Bill was important say two senior Catholic and Anglican clergy. Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington, Monsignor Gerard Burns, and the Anglican Bishop of Wellington, the Most Reverend Justin Duckworth, both walked alongside thousands of others protesting the Government’s Treaty Principles Bill on Tuesday. Both church leaders Read more
Catholic Bishop Jean Baptiste Pompallier’s question to Governor William Hobson – and his response – concerning the Crown’s care of Māori should be enshrined as the Treaty of Waitangi’s fourth article. So theologian Alistair Reese told Parliament’s Petitions Committee last week. The written text of the Treaty – Te Tiriti o Waitangi – includes a Read more
Sitting at Turangawaewae at Kiingi Tūheitia’s tangi last week, I found myself reflecting on growing up in Stokes Valley. It’s probably fair to say that as a teenager my actions were sometimes sub-optimal. One incident in particular came to mind from my college days, when I’d made an inappropriate comment to a fellow student who Read more
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he supports the Christian leaders in expressing their views; however, he has not seen a full draft of the ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill. He was responding to Monday’s open letter from over 400 religious leaders who, sight unseen, wanted the Bill voted down at the first reading, preventing Read more
A mature, thoughtful conversation about Te Tiriti o Waitangi would be timely, but the Act party should not lead it. At the last election, it was the only party to propose a referendum on this subject, and 91.6 percent of the electorate did not support them. It had no democratic mandate to enact its ideas Read more
Christian leaders want MPs to vote down the Treaty Principles Bill at its first reading. The 440 senior leaders from Catholic, Anglican, Salvation Army, Baptist and Methodist denominations, under the “Common Grace” umbrella, expressed their views in an open letter. On Monday, September 9, the Cabinet saw a draft version of David Seymour’s controversial bill Read more
It has taken just over a month for this new coalition Government to render Māori an almost nullity. The last time that occurred was in 1877 when the then Chief Justice James Prendergast proclaimed the Treaty was “worthless” because it had been signed “between a civilised nation and a group of savages” who were incapable Read more