Government declares another redneck war on the Treaty

Waitangi Tribunal review to begin mid-year – Govt

A review into the Treaty of Waitangi Act – which established the Waitangi Tribunal – will begin in the middle of the year, the Government confirmed today.

What this Government couldn’t do with the Treaty Referendum, they will attempt by attacking the Tribunal.

National desperately need to pull some of the redneck vote they have lost to NZF and ACT and what better way than some kangaroo court attack on the Tribunal.

This is a disingenuous bad faith attack on a crucial institute driven by the needs of political dog whistles, nothing more.

White Settlers hate the Tribunal, the Treaty and Māori so need the hatred to hide behind all the donor interests they are making law.

The critiques of this latest redneck stunt are worth looking at…

Review is in ‘bad faith’ – Labour

Labour Māori development spokesperson Willie Jackson said the review of the act was “completely unnecessary”.

“It’s extremely bad faith to conduct a review, right when the Waitangi Tribunal is conducting urgent inquiries into the actions of this Government.”

“Just last week, a scathing review by the Auditor-General gave government departments a year to improve their performance in meeting their obligations to iwi and hapu, advising that the Government faces a greater risk of legal action because they have failed to fulfill Treaty settlements.

“Instead of acknowledging what could be a huge upcoming fiscal cost to the Crown, and making changes, the Government is instead reviewing the Waitangi Tribunal’s role. The Government has also passed 20 pieces of legislation since coming to power undermining Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and the Tribunal’s role.”

…and the Greens…

‘An attack on Te Tiriti’ – Greens

Green Party Māori development spokesperson Hūhana Lyndon said the review was “nothing more than an attempt to limit the accountability the Government has to Te Tiriti o Waitangi”.

“This is not about improving the Waitangi Tribunal like the Minister says, it is about making it easier to trample all over Te Tiriti and punch down on tangata whenua.”

Lyndon said Te Tiriti o Waitangi “provides a place for us all in Aotearoa” and a “layer of a protection for our people and our lands”.

“We know our communities will not stand for this. We saw thousands flood the streets and submit in droves against the Treaty Principles Bill, calling for a country that acknowledges its past and strives for a better future.”

…and the Māori Party…

An effort to ‘erase our voices’ – Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Te Tiriti o Waitangi and MP for Te Tai Tonga, Tākuta Ferris, said the tribunal was one of the few instruments available to Māori to seek redress for breaches of Te Tiriti.

“The mere suggestion that the Act and the Tribunal should be reviewed signals this Government’s belief that the Crown alone should define the meaning, relevance, and limits of Te Tiriti,”

“Make no mistake, this review is a continuation of efforts to erase our voices and control the narrative of our dispossession, for the economic benefit of those who desecrate our people and our whenua.”

…this is nothing more than another bullshit move by a gutless Minister attempting to woo redneck white settlers.

This is what this Government is twisting our country into.

 

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