November 14, 2023
NZ First keen to rein in Waitangi creep
FULL INTERVIEW WITH SHANE JONES CLICK HERE
New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones says the party may find common ground with potential coalition partner ACT to amend treaty legislation.
ACT’s David Seymour has pushed to put his interpretation of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi to a referendum, but incoming Prime Minister Chris Luxon is not keen on the idea.
Mr Jones says New Zealand First leader Winston Peters and himself have been warning for some time that the Waitangi Tribunal and the courts were making the law rather than ruling on the meaning of the law written by parliament.
“It’s part of what has motivated David (Seymour) in terms of his treaty policy and Winston and I are on record talking about the creep of the Waitangi Tribunal and indeed some of the decisions coming out of the court system. At the end of the day the courts, they don’t make the law. The law is made by parliament and the sovereignty of parliament rests with the people and they reflect their will through popular election,” he says.
Mr Jones told Radio Waatea there is going to be a reset and Māori have to accept New Zealand is not going to be put in a situation where the Māori language version of Te Titiri o Waitangi is the exclusive version or given religious significance.