Listen Now: 
Labour’s Tamaki Makaurau MP Peeni Henare says parliament’s failure to pass the Oaths and Declarations Bill may have been a disappointment for its sponsor but it shouldn’t stop MPs from upholding treaty principles.
Then bill would have allowed MPs and other office holders to swear allegience to the Treaty of Waitangi on top of the normal oath.
New Zealand First teamed up with National on Wednesday to block it.
Mr Henare says Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox did a good job with the bill, but what it’s asking for should be normal.
"You don’t have to swear allegiance as an MP or on the Bible. It's about how we view Te Tiriti of Waitangi, how we carry it out in our everyday life. I feel for Marama but I think there are more important things out there," he says.
Copyright © 2016, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
