Greens call on Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned after letter from Christian leaders

The Green Party is once again urging the Prime Minister to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill as a letter from more than 400 Christian leaders calls for the proposed legislation to be dropped.

“This letter is an endorsement of Te Tiriti justice and an indictment on the Treaty Principles Bill,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori development, Hūhana Lyndon.

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides the foundation for us all to find common ground and build an Aotearoa where all of us can thrive. This Bill would see us lose sight of this and fall out of touch with the very core of our country. The Prime Minister has the power to prevent this Bill from progressing a step further.

“The Waitangi Tribunal, translation specialists, iwi leaders, historians and now more than 400 Christian leaders have been clear that the Treaty Principles Bill distorts the true meaning of Te Tiriti while failing to uphold the rights Māori were promised as part of it.

“This Bill that attempts to re-write history and essentially erase tangata whenua rights is not fit for Parliament. Giving this legislation a stage would risk unearthing and emboldening views that will do nothing but hold Aotearoa back, it must be abandoned,” says Hūhana Lyndon.

“This legislation platforms those who want to sow fear and division for political gain – that is bad for all New Zealanders. Luxon must match the leadership shown by these Christian leaders and ensure this Bill is abandoned,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori and Crown Relations, Steve Abel.

“The Prime Minister’s actions need to match his words. He cannot stand at Waitangi and say that Te Tiriti is our past, present and future and then let legislation that corrupts the very meaning of the Treaty to progress through our Parliament.

“We call on the Prime Minister to step up for the good of our nation and uphold the dignity, meaning and integrity of our founding agreement,” says Steve Abel.