“Te Pāti Māori’s member’s bill would give an unelected tribunal supremacy over our elected Parliament,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“The Tribunal has already become increasingly activist, using its ‘partnership’ interpretation of the Treaty to intervene in democratic processes. It’s no surprise Te Pāti Māori wants to give them more power.

“The Tribunal appears to regard itself as a parallel government that can intervene in the actual Government’s policymaking process, but it should always be the voters who have the final say.

“New Zealanders are sick of seeing the Treaty twisted for political gain like this. It’s exactly why ACT is drafting a Treaty Principles Bill, to define what the principles actually mean and restore the Treaty’s promise of the equal rights for all New Zealanders.

“We can no longer ignore the simple idea that the Treaty of Waitangi gives all New Zealanders Tino Rangatiratanga, the right to self-determine and live on our own terms. All New Zealanders should be valued equally, regardless of their race or the date they arrived here.

“New Zealanders have elected a government to restore the economy, get crime under control, provide effective public services, and end division through co-government. The sooner Te Pāti Māori come to terms with what New Zealand voted for and starts providing some policy solutions that will help people instead of divisive theatrics that cause more division, the better.

“This stunt legislation is par for the course from Te Pāti Māori, but it’s a real test for Labour and the Greens. If they still have an ember of belief in democracy, they need to strongly oppose this bill.”

© Scoop Media