A parliamentary committee has advised against advancing a bill that aims to drastically redefine New Zealand’s founding treaty, the accord between Māori tribes and the British Crown. The proposed treaty principles bill, introduced by the minor coalition Act party, aims to replace the established principles guiding Māori and ruling authorities’ relations with its own reinterpretation. This bill has attracted a record number of submissions, totaling over 300,000 written submissions. After weeks of hearings, the justice select committee provided its report to the house, exceeding expectations by completing its review more than a month early. The committee noted that the majority of submissions opposed the legislation, citing concerns over its inconsistency with the treaty, flaws in the development process, and potential negative impact on social cohesion. The Act party claims that current principles have unfairly afforded Māori different political and legal rights compared to non-Māori, arguing that the bill would rectify these disparities. The bill has faced significant backlash from legal experts, academics, and the general public, who fear it will erode Māori rights and undermine checks on governmental power. This opposition has led to large gatherings of Māori leaders and the largest protest on Māori rights to date. Act leader David Seymour argued that the high volume of submissions does not necessarily reflect public opinion and suggested a referendum if opponents truly believe the public opposes the bill. Despite National’s coalition agreement to support the bill through its first reading and the select committee process, both National and New Zealand First have stated they will vote against it at the second reading. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon acknowledged the committee’s workload, emphasizing the need to conclude the process and move forward.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/04/new-zealands-controversial-bill-to-reinterpret-treaty-with-maori-should-be-scrapped-committee-finds