soft cacophony #2 - one day left to submit against TPB
I had other plans for my second post but there is only one day left to submit against the Treaty Principles Bill and there are currently more submissions in favour than in opposition. If passed, the Waitangi Tribunal has said that it would constitute the “worst, most comprehensive breach of te Tiriti in modern times.”
Submissions can be uploaded here and must be completed by midnight on the 7th of January. Please take the time to do this, especially if you are not Māori (it really is the least that we can do). The following have put together resources and guides if you need some help:
In case it is at all useful to anyone I have also outlined my submission below. Feel free to copy and paste any sections that resonate with you. The most important thing is to clearly state that you oppose the Bill and recommend that it be abandoned.
I'm a Pākehā of primarily Irish and Scottish descent. The Treaty Principles Bill is relevant to every single person living in Aotearoa because it threatens to destroy the constitutional status of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Te Tiriti confirms and protects the tino rangatiratanga of tangata whenua, who have never ceded their sovereignty to the Crown. It is also what gives all non-Māori the right to be here, a privilege I do not take lightly.
This Bill seeks to undermine this sacred agreement and is a blatant reinterpretation that bears absolutely no resemblance to the text, spirit and intent of Te Tiriti. This has been confirmed by the Waitangi Tribunal, who have the requisite mana and expertise to make findings and recommendations in relation to breaches of Te Tiriti. It is frankly unfathomable that one party to an agreement of such significance could unilaterally and radically alter its meaning without consent from the other. It also shows a complete disregard for the separation of powers.
It is clear that the purpose of this Bill is to advance an agenda of privatisation, deregulation and corporate exploitation of natural resources. An agenda that does not serve the best interests of the vast majority of New Zealanders. The Act Party understands that Te Tiriti is perhaps the best safeguard against this libertarian fantasy and is accordingly seeking to erode its power and relevance. The Bill attempts to reduce Te Tiriti to individual property rights, erase the specific rights of Māori and jeopardise the status of treaty principles across multiple pieces of legislation.
It is true that there is good reason to be critical of the jurisprudence surrounding treaty principles. They were introduced as a way to resolve the major inconsistencies between what were once believed to be two versions of the treaty that were equally valid. Most of us know now that there is only one valid version, the one that was signed by all but a few rangatira. At this point in time however, the principles are one of the few tools available for holding the Crown to account as a treaty partner.
It is also true that the time has come for an honest conversation about the place of Te Tiriti in Aotearoa and what it would mean to truly honour this agreement. This mahi has already been commenced in the Matike Mai report, led by Professor Margaret Mutu and the late Moana Jackson. The current debate by contrast is steeped in disinformation and has been conducted in a manner that deliberately creates confusion and division.
I strongly oppose the Treaty Principles Bill and implore that it be abandoned before further damage is done to the Tiriti relationship. It is disgraceful that the Bill has progressed this far already as part of this government's wider programme of assimilation. As stated by Te Hunga Rōia Māori in their letter to the Prime Minister, it is “an act of bad faith and deep dishonour.” Aotearoa deserves a better future.
Kill the Bill! Toitū Te Tiriti!
🖤❤️🤍
