November 24, 2023
Coalition agreements can expect Māori disagreement
There’s enough in National’s just announced separate coalition deals with New Zealand First and ACT to predict some widespread unhappiness from Māori.
While Chris Luxon isn’t giving ACT’s bid for a referenda on the Treaty full backing National will let it have a first reading.
That would mean a select committee would be asked to take submissions about the bill, which aims to redefine the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
While with NZ First, there’s agreement to review all legislation – apart from treaty settlement acts – to remove references to “the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi” from law.
The coalition agreement said it would replace such references “with specific words relating to the relevance and application of the Treaty, or repeal the references”.
Peters and Seymour will take turns at deputy Prime Minister