November 24, 2023
Poll shows referendum unpopular
A just-out poll has found 70 percent of New Zealanders believe it is important for Māori and non-Māori to decide together on an equal footing how Te Tiriti o Waitangi is honoured.
A spokesperson for the Human Rights Commission, which commissioned the nationwide poll, Claire Charters, says it confirms their suspicion that people in Aotearoa don’t want politicians inflaming race relations.
But they do want Māori and non-Māori to decide together on an equal footing how the Treaty of Waitangi is to be honoured.
Claire Charters says New Zealand’s unwritten constitution, based on pieces of legislation, convention, and the Treaty, means it doesn’t provide any limitations on the tyranny of the majority.
So potentially, you could have human rights abused by our legislature, whereas around the world, constitutions are exactly about limiting the power of governance entities.