“Labour’s push for co-governance of our water assets is another small step towards a Partnership State where a small
number of New Zealanders have greater rights under the law,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“Co-governance should not be the priority; the priority should be fixing the pipes. We have sewage on the streets in
Wellington and yet at local and central government level the priority is honouring the Treaty.
“Nanaia Mahuta’s water reforms will mean mana whenua have equal rights with councils in governing water assets.
“People shouldn’t have a seat at the table just because of who their ancestors were.
“So many of Labour’s policies are incompatible with liberal democracy. Control of areas as diverse as education, health
and water are being converted to co-governance.
“We’re moving towards a ‘Partnership State’, where there’s an equal partnership between seventeen percent of the
population and the other 83 percent.
“It’s reminiscent of feudalism or the caste system where certain groups get the inside running.
“The Government is reinterpreting the Treaty as a partnership between two collectives where our rights depend on who our
grandparents were.
“ACT says the Treaty means all New Zealanders are equal before the law.
“Labour is setting one group of New Zealanders against another. It must stop exploiting our differences and focus on the
common dignity of all New Zealanders.
“ACT exists to have honest conversations about difficult issues like this and to unite New Zealanders behind good
ideas.”