Two opposition parties have called on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill after the Waitangi Tribunal found it was "little more than a politically motivated attack on perceived 'Māori privilege'", and would "drastically alter" the meaning of the Treaty.
But Luxon today said it was part of the coalition Government's commitments that the National Party would support the bill at first reading.
Today, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said Luxon was on record saying he was committed to upholding tino rangatiratanga under te Tiriti.
"He needs to prove this by immediately abandoning the Treaty Principles Bill and implementing all the recommendations of the Tribunal."
The Tribunal's interim report on its urgent inquiry into the bill, released at midday today, recommended abandoning the bill, establishing a Cabinet Māori-Crown relations committee, pausing the Government's treaty clause review policy, and consider a partnership with Māori to undo the "damage" to the relationship.
The bill is driven by the ACT Party, as part of its coalition agreement with National, which has only committed to supporting the bill at first reading. That means it will go to select committee where it will be publicly debated, but further support is not guaranteed.
Green Party Māori development spokesperson Hūhana Lyndon said her party called on the Prime Minister to "reject this uneducated and antiquated attempt to trample on the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi".
"It is high time that his rhetoric matched the reality of his actions when it comes to standing up for Te Tiriti.
"He has stood by and watched as Treaty protections were removed from state care, as the Māori Health Authority was scrapped and as Māori wards were essentially erased.
"It’s time to take a stand, Christopher."
She said at Waitangi Luxon had said te Tiriti was New Zealand's past, present and future.
"If he truly meant what he said, he would not allow someone to attempt to re-write our history with such a lack of understanding and regard for this nation’s founding agreement.
"He would also not allow another member of his Government to remove Treaty clauses from different pieces of legislation."
Lyndon was referring to the treaty clause review - which is part of National's coalition agreement with NZ First. The tribunal recommended putting that on hold while it is re-conceptualised.
Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori and Crown Relations Steve Abel said upholding te Tiriti was "about rectifying the wrongs of our past, challenging the injustices of our present, and building a country that provides for everybody".
“It is on all of us to honour our founding agreement. Luxon must take on board the findings of the Tribunal and not allow this Treaty-rewrite legislation to progress a step further.
“If Luxon truly respects our founding relationship, Iwi Māori and te reo Māori, he must ensure that a bill that mistranslates Te Tiriti is never put before our Parliament.
The proposed bill is aimed at redefining the Treaty principles using ACT's interpretation, which the Tribunal says would "re-write the Treaty". (Source: 1News)
The Labour Party has not yet responded to the Tribunal's interim report.
'The elected Government is entitled to bring legislation'
ACT leader David Seymour - who is acting Prime Minister while Luxon is in Australia - said the bill would not be abandoned, pointing to the coalition Government's commitments.
"The Waitangi Tribunal is welcome to make recommendations, and the elected Government is entitled to bring legislation to Parliament and debate it."
Seymour said he welcomed the tribunal's contribution to the debate, and said a national conversation was needed about NZ"s founding document.
“Are there are two classes of New Zealanders in partnership, each with different rights? Or are we a modern democracy where all citizens have equal rights? I look forward to having that discussion over the next several months.
“My fundamental question is this: where are the successful societies that treat people differently based on their ancestry? Many of the worst events in history came from treating humans based on their membership of a group.
“If the Treaty is a partnership between the Crown and only Māori, what is the place of a non-Māori child born today? Are they born into second class citizenship where some public positions are not available to them because they have the wrong ancestors?
“New Zealand can have a bright future, but it requires casting off the divisive notion that the Treaty is a partnership between two classes of New Zealanders each with different rights."
He said that was "not only untrue, it is incompatible with the fundamental democratic value that all citizens are equal under the law".
“Each of us is united by universal humanity. The same rights, the same dignities for every person. That is what has driven all the good movements in human history.
“My belief is that this is the only way forward for any society. Every time we say that people have different rights based on ancestry, we breed resentment. And more importantly, we create the idea that which group you're a member of is more important than your basic value as a human being.”
Tribunal report 'a bit premature' - Luxon
In Canberra today, Luxon said the bill would not be abandoned but would be supported at first reading by National, as laid out in its coalition agreement with ACT.
"In our coalition agreement, which the Government has committed to, we have said that we will undertake a first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill, and there is no commitment beyond that."
He said he hadn't had a chance to read the 202-page report, but he viewed it as "a bit premature for the Waitangi Tribunal to come out in the way that it has today".
"We haven't had a Cabinet discussion about the Treaty Principles Bill and so my personal view is - I'll read it - but it seems a bit premature."
He said the bill would likely be introduced in early November this year.
"We are in an MMP environment and that requires coalition governments to be formed and as National Party leader, our position on this issue is, you know, that we don't support it, as an ACT Party leader, David Seymour's position would be that he would like to take it to a full referendum. We found a compromise that probably neither of us would be happy with."
He said the issue of the bill had been "challenging" with iwi leaders.
According to ACT, the principles of the treaty had never been defined in law, and should be something all New Zealanders had a say in.
Act believed the principles should be defined as:
Article 1: “kawanatanga katoa o o ratou whenua” – the New Zealand Government has the right to govern all New Zealanders.
Article 2: “ki nga tangata katoa o Nu Tirani te tino rangatiratanga o o ratou whenua o ratou kainga me o ratou taonga katoa” – the New Zealand Government will honour all New Zealanders in the chieftainship of their land and all their property.
Article 3: “a ratou nga tikanga katoa rite tahi” – all New Zealanders are equal under the law with the same rights and duties.
The Tribunal raised major concerns with this interpretation.
It said the party was "substituting existing Treaty principles" with propositions that bared "no resemblance to the text or spirit of the Treaty."
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