This month’s newsletter is dedicated to those who made submissions on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. For far too long ‘the silenced majority’ has been ignored regarding the so-called principles of the Treaty. To be given the opportunity to speak directly to members of parliament about this issue in a public forum is unprecedented. It is democracy in action - much to the dismay of those who think that only certain people should have a voice on matters concerning the Treaty.
Thank you to those who made written submissions – each and every one is of value. And a special thank you to those who also submitted orally. For some, it can be a daunting experience, especially considering that some select committee members took the opportunity to grandstand their own ideologies rather than ask questions of the submitters in a respectful manner.
Parliament’s Justice select committee has now completed listening to 80 hours of oral submissions from 542 submitters. Academics, lawyers, former MPs, NGOs, lobbyists, activists and individual members of the public shared their knowledge and understanding of the Treaty, and their aspirations for our country. What has been revealing is the number of opponents of the Bill who stated that they do not recognise the legitimacy of our government, and that they do not agree with the concept of equality of citizenship, nor equal rights before the law.
Many other submitters voiced their support for the Bill, for a variety of sound reasons. We have curated a small selection of YouTube recordings that may interest you:
Oral submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill in support of the Bill
- Sandra Goudie
- Professor Natasha Hamilton-Hart
- Professor Elizabeth Rata
- Fiona MacKenzie
- Peter Williams
And a sample of submissions in opposition
Additionally, Hobson’s Pledge have collated a series on excerpts from submissions given in opposition to the Bill. Available on Facebook - click HERE to view
While we at Democracy Action support Principles 1 and 3 of the Bill, we do have significant reservations concerning Principle 2. This is explained in both our written and oral submissions. (Click HERE for a link to a video recording of the oral submission).
You can watch all other submissions online on demand at Vimeo here.
What now for the Treaty Principles Bill? The submissions will be analysed before the committee reports back to the House mid-May. As National and NZ First do not support the bill, it is not expected to pass its second reading.
Updates on other issues
- Proposed Co-governance over Waitakere Ranges. The promised public engagement on the proposed co-governance arrangement over the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park and the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area has been postponed to late March/early April. In the meantime, please spread the word about this development. And voice your concerns to Mayor Brown and the councillors. For further information, see our February newsletter: Co-governance sought over the Waitakere Ranges
- Changes to the management of the conservation estate: The deadline for feedback on proposals in DOCs two discussion documents to ‘modernise’ management of conservation land has now passed. If you missed taking this opportunity, we suggest you send your thoughts directly to the Minister of Conservation, Tama Potaka. Email: [email protected] The Government plans to introduce the legislation next year. For more information, see ‘Pay-to-enter and Treaty obligations loom large in proposed changes at DOC’ and ‘Potaka proposals to ‘modernise’ management of conservation land’. And click HERE for an interesting opinion piece on the proposals by outdoor enthusiast Fiona MacKenzie.
- Marine & Coastal Area Act. While we are still waiting for the amendments to the legislation to come before parliament, a court has pressed ahead with granting Māori applicants customary title to stretches of the Wairarapa coast. See: Judge grants Māori six more customary marine titles as Govt second guesses its coastline reform - Newsroom
This month’s recommended reading
Who Really Broke the Treaty? By John Robinson. This book dares to face the fundamentals, and examines the vexed questions: “What is racism? Is this apartheid? Who really did break the Treaty?”
Also, see a further selection of interesting comments below at: ‘Further News, Views, Opinions…...’
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Thank you for your continued interest and support. If you have any suggestions you would like to offer, or if you need further information or help, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]
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Kind regards,
Susan Short