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'Had enough': Senior iwi leaders walk out of public gallery during Treaty Principles Bill introduction

Author
Julia Gabel,
Publish Date
Thu, 7 Nov 2024, 9:12pm

'Had enough': Senior iwi leaders walk out of public gallery during Treaty Principles Bill introduction

Author
Julia Gabel,
Publish Date
Thu, 7 Nov 2024, 9:12pm

Iwi leader Helmut Modlik and six other senior members of Ng膩ti Toa walked out of the public gallery at Parliament today in protest during the introduction of the controversial Treaty Principles Bill.

David Seymour鈥檚 bill 鈥� which proposes replacing the many current treaty principles with three new ones 鈥� has been the subject of fierce criticism. Seymour says the purpose of the bill is to provide certainty and clarity around the principles.

Ahead of its introduction at Parliament today, between 70-100 protesters gathered outside Parliament with banners saying, 鈥淜ill the Treaty Principles Bill.鈥�

In Auckland, crowds with similar banners and signs gathered outside the Act party electorate office in Epsom.

Inside the House, protests and objections continued with one person in the public gallery yelling, 鈥淵ou tell them, Rawiri,鈥� when Te P膩ti M膩ori co-leader Rawiri Waititi raised a point of order.

Waititi and co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer raised multiple points of order 鈥� at least six between them 鈥� in the House to disrupt proceedings as a form of protest against the introduction of the bill.

Te P膩ti M膩ori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi during a previous Question Time session in May. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Te P膩ti M膩ori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi during a previous Question Time session in May. Photo / Mark Mitchell

People gathered outside the Act offices in Epsom protesting against the introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill. Photo / Carson Bluck
People gathered outside the Act offices in Epsom protesting against the introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill. Photo / Carson Bluck

Labour MP Peeni Henare questioned the Minister for M膩ori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, Tama Potaka, who said he stood by the bill鈥檚 introduction and recognised the 鈥済enuine concerns expressed by iwi leaders鈥�.

Henare asked Potaka if the M膩ori-Crown relationship was better or worse under his leadership.

Potaka replied: 鈥淚 believe many, many M膩ori communities are very enthusiastic about the number of M膩ori tamariki who have left emergency housing.鈥�

Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee had to ask the House and at times the public gallery to be quiet during Potaka鈥檚 answer.

鈥淭here are a number of matters that I think have strengthened the M膩ori-Crown relationship,鈥� Potaka said, listing funding for Te Matatini and education initiatives.

National's Hamilton West MP Tama Potaka gives his maiden statement to the House. Photo / Mark Mitchell
National's Hamilton West MP Tama Potaka gives his maiden statement to the House. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Protesters gather outside Parliament in opposition to the Treaty Principles Bill. Photo / Julia Gabel
Protesters gather outside Parliament in opposition to the Treaty Principles Bill. Photo / Julia Gabel

It was during Potaka鈥檚 answer that Modlik and other leaders and members of Ng膩ti Toa stood up from their seats in the public gallery and walked out. Modlik paused while standing and as he looked down at the ministers, he made a motion as if he was brushing dirt off his shoulder.

鈥淵ou get temporarily covered with dust and that鈥檚 what you do with dust, and then it鈥檚 gone ... I just wanted them to know, that鈥檚 what I think about what you鈥檝e just had to say.鈥�

Modlik told the Herald he walked out because he had 鈥渉ad enough鈥�. He said he thought the minister鈥檚 answer was 鈥渟o dishonest鈥� and he could not stand being in the House 鈥渙ne second more鈥�.

鈥淚 could not stand to sit in the house today and listen to a question, a straight question asked, 鈥業s the relationship between the M膩ori community and the Government better or worse today as a consequence of yours ...鈥� 鈥� and the answer that was given was so dishonest, duplicitous and dishonourable.

Te Runanga o Toa Rangatira chief executive Helmut Modlik. Photo / Supplied
Te Runanga o Toa Rangatira chief executive Helmut Modlik. Photo / Supplied

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 stand to sit there and listen to that. I couldn鈥檛 sit there and listen to that a moment longer.鈥�

Modlik said leaders from Ng膩ti Toa had come to 鈥渞espectfully listen鈥� but also to 鈥渞egister by our presence that we are attentive, that our eyes are on the process.鈥�

He described the Treaty Principles Bill as a callous, 鈥渦nilateral reversal of the spirit and substance of te Tiriti鈥� and 鈥渇our decades of truth and reconciliation鈥�.

鈥淥ur people have not met a single M膩ori person that has got any inclination to accept that.

鈥淭he upside is that it has catalysed a degree of unity not seen in my lifetime, if ever, and it鈥檚 coming to a head. The strength of support both from the tangata whenua, tangata Tiriti in a couple of weeks鈥� time [with the planned national h墨koi] will undeniably capture the attention of both this House and the nation.鈥�

The bill will have its first reading next Thursday. National and NZ First have already said they will not support the bill past a first reading. The bill will go to a select committee for six months from November to May.

The latest Waitangi Tribunal report on the policy warned that whether the bill was actually enacted or not, its 鈥渋mpacts will not fade for a long time鈥�.

鈥淎t present, the progressing of the bill is having serious impacts on the relationship ... but the bill, if enacted, would kill that relationship.鈥�

The legislation was unveiled today and included changes 鈥� narrowed wording 鈥� to one of the principles originally agreed on by Parliament in September.

Seymour believes Parliament, not the courts, should define the principles. Treaty principles are ways of interpreting the Treaty in law.

Seymour welcomed the introduction of the bill today, saying its purpose was for Parliament to define the principles of the Treaty, provide certainty and clarity, and promote a national conversation about their place in our constitutional arrangements.

鈥淭he bill will not alter or amend the Treaty itself. It will be used to assist with the interpretation of legislation where Treaty principles would normally be considered relevant, in addition to legislation that refers to Treaty principles directly.

鈥淚 am looking forward to this important national conversation about the place of the Treaty in our constitutional arrangements.鈥�

Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.

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