October 18, 2023
ACT tiriti poll threat to rule of law
Former Justice Minister Andrew Little says ACT’s proposed referendum on Te Tiriti o Waitangi goes against 50 years of law.
He says any referendum would be challenged in court.
The constitutional status of the treaty has evolved over more than a century not just through legislation like the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 but by findings in the highest courts.
“The idea that that now (be) somehow subject to a referendum goes against the principle of the rule of law which the ACT Party claims to stand for and will be, if they prosecute it, divisive and very bad for the long term of New Zealand,” he says.
Andrew Little yesterday announced his retirement from politics, and says he plans to reapply for a practising certificate and resume his career as an employment lawyer.