Now is the time to show leadership.
Growing up with a Māori father and a Pākehā mother, I felt lucky to have the best of both worlds. But I’ll be honest, in my Catholic school in the late 80s and mainstream in the 90s, Te Tiriti o Waitangi wasn’t something we talked much about. I knew more about saints, scripture and the royal family than the founding document of our country. It wasn’t until university, studying Māori politics, that I really started to understand what the Te Tiriti really means – it holds together the heart of who we are as a country. Education is transformative.
I’ve watched with disbelief as David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill moves through Parliament. It’s not here to make us stronger; it’s here to drive us apart. I have also watched with pride as the hikoi moves through the country, uniting Aotearoa for what is right.
Christian leaders say the bill is “treacherous and dangerous”. The Waitangi Tribunal has condemned the bill, calling it the “worst, most comprehensive breach of the Treaty/te Tiriti in modern times.” And this kind of breach doesn’t just hurt us here at home, it damages our reputation worldwide.
While our journey has been far from perfect, the world has watched New Zealand make progress on race relations, honour Te Tiriti, and build a society others look to. The world has also watched the haka last week in Parliament, alerted to the concerning behaviour of this Government, leaving Christopher Luxon’s reputation well and truly tarnished. I proudly stood to support the haka.
Undermining Te Tiriti isn’t just an attack on Māori, it slowly erodes the trust and goodwill we’ve built internationally, affecting our economy and every community. Tourism, trade, and investment all rely on New Zealand being a place the world respects and trusts.
This Bill is backed by a Government that should know better.
For nearly 50 years, treaty principles have been our compass. They weren’t invented on a whim, they came from years of struggle, pain, growth, and understanding. These principles have helped us move forward, honouring the past while adapting to the future, ka mua, ka muri. Now Seymour wants to bulldoze all that, replace it with his own version, and call it “progress.” This isn’t progress; it’s destruction.
The hīkoi isn’t just a march, it’s a call for unity, for respect, for honouring the Treaty. It’s a reminder that Te Tiriti isn’t just a historical document to be changed at will. It’s a living commitment that upholds the respect and mana of tangata whenua, and it’s also what gave everyone a home here in New Zealand.
We don’t need this divisive debate. We need leadership and kotahitanga.
New Zealand deserves better. We deserve leaders who will stand by Te Tiriti and who understand that when Māori thrive, our entire country thrives. Honouring the Treaty isn’t about giving anyone special treatment; it’s about fairness and building a future we can all be proud of. Toitu te Tiriti.
