Te Pāti Māori is fiercely condemning the Government’s latest moves to weaken Treaty of Waitangi clauses across multiple laws, describing the changes as an attack on Māori rights and the constitutional foundations of Aotearoa.
The criticism follows confirmation from Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith that the Government plans to remove or weaken references to Te Tiriti o Waitangi across 19 pieces of legislation as part of an ongoing Treaty clause review.
Te Pāti Māori says the reforms amount to a systematic rollback of protections for Māori interests in areas including health, education, conservation, housing and child wellbeing.
Party leaders say the Government is attempting to achieve through legislation what the controversial Treaty Principles Bill failed to achieve politically, by reducing the legal weight of Treaty obligations across public institutions.
The Government’s review is examining Treaty clauses in more than 20 laws, with proposals reportedly seeking to lower obligations to a minimum “take into account” standard or remove references entirely in some cases.
Critics argue the changes weaken long-standing commitments to partnership, active protection and tino rangatiratanga established through decades of legal interpretation and Waitangi Tribunal findings.
Legal academics and Māori advocates have also warned the review process has lacked meaningful engagement with Māori and ignored advice from officials and constitutional experts.
Te Pāti Māori says the proposed reforms represent one of the most significant erosions of iwi rights in modern New Zealand history and are calling for a united response from iwi, hapū, legal advocates and communities across the country.
The latest controversy comes after months of heightened debate around Te Tiriti, including the defeat of ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill following widespread opposition and mass hīkoi across the country.
Government ministers have defended the review as an effort to create consistency across legislation and clarify how Treaty clauses should operate in law.
Opponents, however, argue the reforms risk damaging Crown–Māori relationships and undermining hard-won protections for Māori participation and decision-making within public policy and governance.
The debate is expected to intensify as further details of the proposed legislative changes are released and select committee processes begin later this year.
