Day 1 of submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill set a powerful tone as esteemed speakers including Ta Taihakurei Durie and Whaea Ani Mikaere shared their insights. The bill, which seeks to solidify the principles of TeTiriti o Waitangi in New Zealand’s legislative framework, has drawn significant public attention, and these submissions highlighted the importance of honoring tangata whenua perspectives.
Ta Taihakurei Durie, a prominent legal scholar and advocate for Māori rights, emphasised the need for the bill to reflect the true intent and spirit of Te Tiriti. He urged lawmakers to ensure the principles remain grounded in the partnership, protection, and participation that the Treaty embodies, rather than being diluted or misinterpreted.
“If the bill were to pass, I believe our government would be the laughingstock of the Western world”, said Ta Taihakurei Durie.
Whaea Ani Mikaere, a respected academic, barrister, solicitor, and author, delivered an impassioned submission highlighting the need to center mātauranga Māori and uphold Tino rangatiratanga. She challenged the government to take a bold and authentic approach to the legislation, ensuring it does more than pay lip service to the Treaty’s legacy.
She argued that the Treaty reaffirmed “supreme political authority to Tino rangatiratanga of the rangatira” but “delegated kāwanatanga to the crown so that it could regulate the conduct of British citizens who were living here in Aotearoa.
“The Crown occupies its current position of privilege by virtue of the fact that it has lied, cheated, and infected its way to dominance during the decades immediately following the Treaty of Waitangi,” Mikaere said. “Now, the precise detail of the process by which the Crown acquired dominance may vary from iwi to iwi, from rohe to rohe, but the general pattern remains depressingly constant”.
Video from Day 1 of Oral Submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill can be viewed by clicking here.