The Green Party has written to the Speaker of the House requesting he enable a personal vote on the Treaty Principles Bill.
“Tens of thousands are mobilising across the country against a divisive waste of time cooked up in secret by three men,” says Green Co-Leader, Chlöe Swarbrick.
“It’s time for the 123 Members of this Parliament to take personal, individual responsibility for whether the Treaty Principles Bill nonsense goes any further.
“During the election campaign, National MPs told the public they would not support this Bill. Christopher Luxon now keeps saying that the party will definitely vote it down if it gets to Second Reading. The Prime Minister is telling us that he intends to whip his MPs to vote differently at First Reading to what they campaigned on a year ago.
“That could mean our country’s precious energy and focus being poured into this imported, divisive culture war for months as this plays out at Select Committee. But that’s not inevitable. If MPs were free to vote with their conscience, I am confident many would align with regular New Zealanders, and put this rubbish in the bin where it belongs,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.