New Zealand faces protests over controversial new bill

The recent protests have arrived after legislation introduced by David Seymour of the ACT Party. It aims to redefine the treaty’s principles, asserting that they should apply equally to all New Zealanders rather than specifically benefiting Māori.

The legislation, or the Treaty Principles Bill has three main pillars. Principle 1 asserts that the New Zealand government has full governing power and must act in the best interests of all citizens while adhering to the rule of law.

Principle 2 recognizes the rights of Māori (hapū and iwi) as they existed at the time of signing the Treaty. However, it stipulates that these rights differ from those of other citizens only when specified in historical treaty settlements.

The last principle affirms that all individuals are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection and benefits without discrimination.

The overarching goal is to clarify the Treaty principles, promoting a national conversation about their role in New Zealand’s constitutional framework. The bill emphasizes that it does not amend the original text of the Treaty itself.

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New Zealand’s parliament was briefly suspended after Māori members staged a haka to disrupt the vote on a contentious bill that would reinterpret a 184-year-old treaty between the British and Indigenous Māori. Parliamentarian Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke started the haka protest in the House, tearing up the new bill. powerful haka newzealand politics globalnews

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Yet, critics argue that the development process for the bill did not adequately involve Māori voices, violating principles of partnership and good faith.

As such, many believe that redefining the Treaty principles could undermine existing rights and protections for Māori, potentially leading to a rollback of gains made over decades regarding Indigenous rights.

Fortunately for the Māori, most political parties, aside from the ACT Party, have committed to opposing the bill during its next parliamentary reading. Critics assert that the legislation would change the meaning of the Treaty without Māori consent, effectively rewriting its principles.

This has been characterized as a violation of the partnership principle between Māori and the Crown. The Waitangi Tribunal has stated that this bill could represent one of the most significant breaches of democratic rights in the nation’s recent history.

That said, due to the strong opposition it has faced, it is unlikely that the bill will be approved in the future. However, on the off-chance, it does get the green light, its passage would have profound implications for New Zealand’s legal framework regarding Indigenous rights, social cohesion, and governance dynamics.

In this instance, it is only expected that the Māori-Crown relationship would deteriorate, erasing decades of settlement agreements. Continued protests will strive to prevent that eventuality from unfolding.