A SIMPLE GUIDE TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE TREATY OF WAITANGI BILL
(also known as the Treaty Principles Bill)
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What is a Bill?
A ‘Bill’ is a proposed new law that has been introduced to Parliament, but has not yet been agreed.
What is the Treaty Principles Bill?
The Treaty Principles Bill was introduced by the ACT Party on 7 November 2024. The full name of the Bill is Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill.
The purpose of the Bill is to change the meaning of the Treaty Principles in law.
The Bill creates three new Treaty Principles to replace the principles that have been carefully developed over the past 50 years.
The effect of the Bill will be to remove the legal recognition of most of the rights guaranteed to Māori by Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
This Bill includes a referendum before it will become law.
(A referendum is where everyone can vote on an important issue).
What are the new Treaty Principles in the Bill?
The Treaty Principles Bill proposes new principles which are very different from what was agreed in Te Tiriti.
The new Principles in the Bill aim to
- Make government powers greater than what Te Tiriti agreed.
- Stop the sovereign and independent status of Māori nations.
- Make Māori rights dependent on the government agreeing to pass laws.
- Take out a protection for Māori rights. Add in equal rights for everyone.
Why not include equal rights for everyone?
Because this is a Bill about Te Tiriti o Waitangi – so it should be true to what Te Tiriti o Waitangi actually says.
We already have laws to give equal rights to all New Zealand citizens. We are all protected by these laws.
Unfortunately, the actions of the Crown throughout history show that Māori rights need to be actively protected in law. This is the same for other groups as well.
Acknowledging Māori rights doesn’t take anything away from other groups.
It is not honest and not honourable to use the idea of ‘equal rights’ to take away the legal protections of a group.
What are the problems with the Treaty Principles Bill?
The Bill will change the important status of our founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is too important to change.
Te Tiriti is an agreement with Māori nations. A treaty cannot be changed by just one party to the agreement.
The new principles proposed in the Bill are not true to what was agreed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The people campaigning to pass the Bill are sharing false information about the meaning of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
This makes some people feel more confident to voice racism against Māori publicly.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is important to a huge number of Māori and non-Māori.
The Bill is wasting a lot of time, energy and money to create more problems and conflict.
“We need leaders who guide us… ready to solve the right problems, not make new ones.” (Action Station Party Pack, p12)