January 24, 2024
Room to move in treaty debate says Jones
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says he’s looking forward to continuing the debate about the Treaty of Waitangi and the constitution kicked off at Turangawaewae on the weekend.
The Government parties expect to come under fire at Ratana today, and again at the Waitangi Day commemorations next week.
Mr Jones is urging people not to adopt hard positions or offensive analysis, such at lawyer Dayle Takitimu telling Saturday’s hui the Government was underpinned by white supremacists.
“The Dayles of the world cannot simply click their fingers and demand the rest of the population fall in line. That’s called politics. This political debate is not going to be for the faint hearted. So I can understand why opinions are consolidating after the hui but those opinions are only one perspective in what is going to be a protracted political debate,” he says.
Mr Jones says part of the current debate was whether the Waitangi Tribunal has over-steeped its mandate in coming up with treaty principles.