Everything you missed from the third day of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard four hours of oral submission.
Read our recaps of day one of the hearings here, and day two here.
Parliament was quiet on Friday for the third day of hearings on the Treaty principles bill. Select committee room 3 sat empty but for a couple of parliamentary staff. MPs were away at Waitangi or in their home electorates, so the four hours of submissions took place entirely on Zoom. Labour MP Duncan Webb chaired the meeting in front of an overwhelming green photo of Ōtākaro/the Avon River.
The third day of hearings didn’t feature as many dramatic showdowns as the previous two – the combination of online presentations, the process dragging on, and the fact that it was a Friday seemed to sap some of the previous energy. But even on a comparatively slower day, there were moments of laughs, tears and tension.
Joseph Xulué opened the submissions on behalf of the Pacific Lawyers Association. He identified himself as an indigenous Kanak of New Caledonia who “vehemently opposed” the bill. “We stand together with tangata whenua Māori as indigenous people of Te Moana Nui a Kiwa,” he said.
Riki Welsh spoke on behalf of Pacific Youth Leadership and Transformation. “Our community feels that Pasifika people should not be neutral, we should be in support of Māori,” he said. He stood out for his spiky hair, background of anime characters, and for beginning his speech with “whoop whoop!”.
Liz Davies of SociaLink, a charitable trust operating in western Bay of Plenty, said culturally responsive services were critical for healthcare in underserved communities, “and this bill threatens those outcomes”.
Liana Poutu, a trustee of Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Trust, used her time to read sections of the Crown’s apology as part of the Taranaki Maunga redress bill, which passed in parliament last week. “The Crown is sorry that the promise of partnership that arose in 1840 so quickly became a history of conflict confiscation and neglect”, and “The Crown also looks to a future where Taranaki Maunga symbolises and embodies a relationship with you that is founded on trust and a shared respect for Te Tiriti o Waitangi.” She argued that the Treaty principles bill would bring into question the nearly 100 Treaty settlements that the Crown has already signed.
Kaea Tibble spoke during the submission for Poupatatē Marae Inc – Ngati Pikiahu on behalf of young people, though at age 23 he said he was “holding onto rangatahi status by a thread”. He said the bill’s proponents were “gaslighting” their supporters about Crown-Māori relationships, but that his generation was becoming more determined to defend te Tiriti.
Former race relations conciliator Gregory Fortuin said the relationship between the Crown and Māori was worse than when he was in office from 2001-02 and could hurt New Zealand’s international standing. “If we want to lecture others on human rights, we shouldn’t neglect our own obligations,” he said. He argued that, if the bill went to a referendum, it needed to be two referendums – one for all voters, and one specifically for Māori.
Tasha Hohaia similarly focused on New Zealand’s global reputation. She spoke about attending a recent UN conference on indigenous issues. “The talk of the town at the UN was ‘Oh how your country has regressed’. That’s the shame and embarrassment that this bill is bringing us as a nation,” she said.
Merita Levave, a teacher at Newlands College, gave her five-minute presentation with a classroom of students in the background. As she wrapped up her speech, the students all stood up, ripped pieces of paper representing the bill, and shouted “Toitu te Tiriti”.
Former Labour minister and Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said she was “really saddened” to speak, but hoped that “some good will come of this conversation”. She highlighted successful partnerships between the council and iwi during her mayoralty.
Sara Cole Stratton teared up while describing the work of Sir James Hēnare and his vision to reclaim the mana of te Tiriti. “I feel so passionate and angry I could cry,” she said in a shaking voice.
Murray Hawkes supported the bill and said he told his children to move overseas because “I cannot recommend that they live their lives in a country divided upon racial lines”. Drawing from several years working in the oil and gas industry, he said, “I can honestly say that New Zealand is the most corrupt and least attractive regulatory environment that I’ve worked in, because of the ambiguity and the need for preference towards Māori, there are demands of race-based payments at every step.”
Roger Gower, who also supported the bill, accused successive governments of pursuing “race-based policies that undermine democracy” and extensively quoted Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
In the final submission of the day, Mokonuiarangi Kingi of Te Taumata o Ngati Whakaue Iho Ake Trust called for a major constitutional change to honour te Tiriti and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and suggested New Zealand form a collective body with other indigenous nations. He criticised prime minister Christopher Luxon for allowing the bill to come this far, saying, “It lays the seed for future discontent in another five or 10 years unless Māori decide to act now, mobilise, and do something about it.”
With the final submission complete, MPs didn’t hang around to chat. “It’s been a good day. Kia ora, ka kite,” Duncan Webb said as he signed off and closed the stream.
