Treaty Principles Referendum by stealth
The Government’s latest attempt to weaken Treaty obligations across multiple laws is being condemned as the Treaty Principles Bill by stealth — a rolling legislative assault critics say is designed to erode Māori rights without triggering the same public backlash the original proposal generated.
This legislative rollback represents one of the most racist and extreme attacks on the Treaty ever in NZ’s history…
Government announces Treaty Principles Bill by stealth – Greens
The Green Party is condemning the Government’s decision to weaken Te Tiriti o Waitangi references across 19 acts of Parliament, calling it the Stealth Treaty Principles Bill.
“New Zealanders didn’t want the Treaty Principles Bill, and they sure don’t want it by stealth,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson.
“Stripping te Tiriti out of seven acts entirely and dragging the Crown’s obligations in another ten down to the weakest possible standard, is a deliberate diminishment of the founding document of this country.
“Treaty references in legislation are how the Crown’s word gets translated into the decisions that shape whānau lives. The changes set the lowest standard the Crown can give itself. Weakening them weakens the protections people rely on every day.
“The Waitangi Tribunal has warned this Government, repeatedly, about its approach to te Tiriti. Those warnings are being ignored, along with the evidence, the history, and the weight of the agreement that founded this country.
“New Zealanders have already had their say on the Treaty Principles Bill. They submitted in record numbers, they marched in numbers this country has not seen in a generation. The Government should abandon this new Treaty Principles Bill,” says Davidson.
Greens
Māori-Crown relations are deteriorating fast
…and is damaging Crown Iwi relations…
Māori Crown relationship going from bad to worse – Labour
The Waitangi tribunal report released today highlights how badly the Government is treating Māori-Crown relations.
“Today’s Waitangi Tribunal findings are serious, and the Government must take action. The findings show a breach of treaty principles, a reckless disregard for Māori voices, and harmful consequences lying in wait for tamariki Māori,” Labour’s spokesperson for Māori-Crown relations Willie Jackson said.
“This is about genuine partnership. The actions of this Government represent a major breach of that fundamental principle.
“Labour is clear: Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the bedrock of our country and every child in Aotearoa should learn about New Zealand’s history. It is vital we safeguard and ensure Te Tiriti is not scrubbed from history.
“Te Tiriti o Waitangi belongs in our schools. A future Labour Government will restore that commitment back where it should be. This is extreme bad faith by this government, and it is our kids that will suffer as a result.
“Our children are a taonga and history shows there’s a high price paid when you diminish their mana. How are tamariki Māori meant to thrive, when you put them into a system devoid of protections meant to safeguard them?”
“It’s clear, that despite their rhetoric, the government simply don’t care about Māori or the Māori-Crown relationship,” Willie Jackson said.
Labour
The politics of division and deregulation
…amputating the Treaty from legislation serves two masters.
Firstly the whero-neck voter base who hate Māori but like to dress their bigotry up by pretending removing the Treaty from legislation is some sort of championing of ‘democracy’.
Secondly, big polluters who want to exploit weakened indigenous and environmental rights to create more pollution.
The second group are the ones who pay for the racist social media campaign via dark money washed through the Taxpayers’ Union to activate the first group into voting for their big pollution interests by manipulating voters prejudice.
That’s why we are seeing this late stage attack on the Treaty by the Right, to win whero-neck voters and to clear the way for their big pollution donors to be able to start right after the election.
