The Treaty Principles Bill

DEADLINE EXTENDED!

Due to technical issues with the Parliament website on the evening of January 7th, 2025, the Select Committee has announced an extension to the submission deadline for the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill.

Submissions can now be made here until:

1 PM JANUARY 14TH, 2024

Once your submission is ready, submit it directly via the Parliament website before the new deadline. Don’t miss this extended opportunity to stand up for Te Tiriti o Waitangi and protect its principles for future generations.

SCROLL DOWN TO USE OUR SUBMISSION TOOL!

“The Treaty to me has never been about Treaty rights; it’s always been about the rightness that comes from people accepting their obligations to each other. And that was a profound, and I think, visionary base upon which to build a country.”

—Moana Jackson

Image credit: Aaron Smale

The Articles of Te Tiriti O Waitangi

Article 1: Kāwanatanga

The Crown is granted the right to govern and make laws in Aotearoa, but this is not an absolute power. The article affirms that the Crown’s authority is exercised in partnership with Māori, respecting the Māori people's mana and rights. By upholding tino rangatiratanga, Māori retain their authority over their own lands, resources, and taonga. The Crown's role is to govern responsibly, with the consent and in cooperation with the tangata whenua, ensuring Māori continue to have autonomy over their own affairs.

Article 2: Tino Rangatiratanga

This article is the heart of tino rangatiratanga, directly affirming Māori authority and self-determination. The Crown promises to protect Māori authority over their lands, fisheries, forests, and taonga, ensuring that Māori have the right to control their own resources and decision-making. This article enshrines the protection of Māori sovereignty, allowing them to exercise their tino rangatiratanga freely and without interference, preserving the integrity of their culture, leadership, and systems of governance.

Article 3: Ōritetanga

Ensures that Māori receive the same rights and protections as British subjects, securing equality before the law. It requires the Crown to safeguard Māori well-being, including their economic, cultural, and social interests. This article upholds tino rangatiratanga by ensuring Māori are not disadvantaged or marginalized under colonial systems and are entitled to the same legal protections.The promise of ōritetanga strengthens Māori sovereignty by holding the Crown accountable to protect Māori rights and interests.

MĀORI NEVER CEDED SOVEREIGNTY

Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the foundational agreement that protects the rights, cultures, and sovereignty of all people in Aotearoa. It guarantees self-determination and protection over lands, taonga, and resources for Tangata Whenua, while also ensuring that Tangata Te Tiriti are treated with fairness and equality under the law. By honoring Te Tiriti, we maintain the balance that keeps Aotearoa a place for everyone, not for the profit of multinational corporations.

The Treaty Principles Bill is a direct attack on these protections, threatening to privatize our land and allow corporate interests to overrule the well-being of our people and our environment. It is crucial that you have your say and stand up for the principles of Te Tiriti to ensure our nation’s future is not sold to the highest bidder.

Submission Builder

Use these arguments to inform your submission via the Parliament Website

  • Te Tiriti O Waitangi, as the founding document of Aotearoa, explicitly guarantees Māori tino rangatiratanga (sovereignty) over their lands, resources, and taonga. The Treaty Principles Bill weakens the Crown’s obligations to protect these rights, effectively diminishing Māori authority and self-determination. By diminishing Māori governance over their own affairs, the bill disregards the intent of Te Tiriti and violates the foundational principles that have kept Aotearoa’s diverse cultural identity intact. This erosion of Māori sovereignty will affect not only Māori communities but the entire nation’s ability to move forward in a truly bicultural partnership.

  • The bill enables multinational corporations to increase their influence in Aotearoa’s economy, particularly in the areas of land, resources, and essential services. By allowing corporate entities to gain greater control over the country’s natural wealth, the bill prioritizes private profit over the public good. This move risks turning Aotearoa into a commodity to be bought and sold by foreign investors, pushing the needs of the people and environment into the background. This corporate-driven model could lead to the erosion of the collective welfare of the people of Aotearoa and diminish the environmental protections that have safeguarded the land for generations.

  • By weakening the Crown's duty to protect Māori land and resources, this bill makes it easier for foreign investors to buy up Aotearoa’s whenua (land). The shift towards privatization jeopardizes the long-term sustainability of our environment and the cultural ties Māori have with their ancestral lands. This could lead to the irreversible loss of land that has been passed down through generations, diminishing Māori communities’ ability to exercise their rights to land, food sovereignty, and cultural preservation. Aotearoa’s future depends on sustainable, collective stewardship of the land, which is being undermined by this bill.

  • The Treaty Principles Bill contradicts the spirit and intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi by allowing greater erosion of Māori rights and the principles of partnership, protection, and participation. Te Tiriti guaranteed Māori the right to govern and manage their own resources, as well as to share equally in the benefits of a partnership with the Crown. The bill undermines these principles, reducing Māori access to decision-making processes, land, and resources. This failure to honor Te Tiriti is not just a breach of legal obligations but a violation of the trust established between Māori and the Crown over 180 years ago.

  • This bill harms not only Māori but all the people of Aotearoa. By allowing corporate interests to drive decisions regarding land and resources, the bill risks the long-term economic and social stability of Aotearoa. Privatization could lead to the loss of affordable housing, unsustainable agricultural practices, and the destruction of our natural environment. This harms the broader population, especially those who depend on access to affordable land, clean water, and the ability to live in a fair and just society. The bill prioritizes corporate profits over the collective needs of Aotearoa, undermining the country's social fabric.

  • The bill undermines international human rights standards, particularly the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which affirms Māori rights to self-determination, control over their lands, and the protection of their cultures. By disregarding these global commitments, Aotearoa risks being seen as complicit in violating Indigenous rights. This not only damages the country's reputation on the international stage but also compromises the fundamental rights of Māori, further entrenching inequalities and historical injustices. Upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi is essential for fulfilling these international obligations and ensuring that Māori rights are recognized and respected globally.

*SUBMIT BEFORE 1 PM JANUARY 14TH, 2025