April 21, 2023
Waitangi Tribunal tackles constitution
The Waitangi Tribunal is to look into the extent Aotearoa’s constitutional and electoral arrangements fit in with the guarantees found in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Tribunal member and University of Auckland Professor Emeritus David Williams says the Kaupapa Inquiry is a chance to consider what a constitution would look like if Te Tiriti was its basic foundation.
He says when the New Zealand Constitution Act was enacted in 1852, it was set up for the colonising settlers to have power and authority and it’s been like that ever since, permitting a tyranny of the majority.
Professor Williams says a crucial aspect of the inquiry will be to identify opportunities to enable Māori iwi and hapū to revitalise tikanga Māori and give practical effect to tino rangatiratanga.
The inquiry will be presided over by Deputy Chief Judge Caren Fox, Kevin Prime, Derek Fox, Prue Kapua and Dr Grant Phillipson also on the inquiry panel.