Ira Aotearoa’s Post

A principled approach to government Treaty commitments Treaty Principles are an important means by which the agreement of Te Tiriti is upheld by government. Despite this, our current government has unilaterally decided to review, replace, and repeal or rewrite Treaty Principles.  It is critical that the government actions reflect these central understandings established in law: - A treaty is an agreement between independent nations     - Any interpretation of meaning, or change of terms, must be agreed to by the parties to that agreement     - Any interpretation must reflect the agreement itself    We can advocate for this principled approach together and protect the progress that has been made towards honouring Te Tiriti. To learn more about Treaty Principles and what we can do about changes to government Te Tiriti commitments, read our succinct new resource: https://lnkd.in/g92RYjTM 

The Treaty Principles Bill The Treaty Principles Bill will get its first reading in Parliament today. I support the bill and if you are interested, I discuss my support for the bill here: https://lnkd.in/gx9RJKg7 And no there were no principles in the original Treaty; this is a later addition by New Zealand Courts. Two key provisions of the Bill are (1) Parliament has the right to govern and (2) We all have equal rights. In another time, this would be relatively straightforward. The reason why this is controversial is that a loose coalition of leftist academics and judges along with a Maori elite have decided that challenges to the status quo will endanger their elite status. The current situation serves them well. If you look at India’s long tradition of caste-based reservations (which have become a huge problem) then what becomes clear is that this system has certainly benefited the elites among the backward castes like the Yadavs but not many benefits have accrued to those who are really in need. In fact, it is a similar attempt to implement such reservations that got the Prime Minister of Bangladesh ousted from office with her having to flee the country. There is no doubt that the average Maori are socio-economically worse off than the average Pakeha. But if the goal is to reduce inequity, then what about the poor Fijians, Tongans, Samoans, Indians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysians and Iranians? It is also not clear that the average Maori actually benefits from the status quo. Why base help for the needy on race rather than need? And if New Zealand is to be governed by a partnership between the Pakeha and the Maori then what about the quarter of the population that are neither Maori nor Pakeha? What happens to them and their children? What is their status? What connection can this quarter of the population feel to a country where their very existence seems like an afterthought? As the many marches and protests proliferate, and the media talking heads and leftist luminaries pontificate ad nauseum, it is important to remember that in surveys many more support the Treaty Principles Bill than oppose it. The people supporting the bill are a majority; those opposed are in the minority. But the Treaty Principles Bill is not going to a referendum. It is entirely possible that the vocal minority will succeed in torpedoing this bill. You do not need to agree with the ACT party to support this specific bill. If you support the bill, then talk to your friends and family. Let people know where you stand. Talk to your elected representative. Write letters to the editor. Ask questions, both of those proposing the bill and those who are opposing it. Then decide. And no, you are not being racist by supporting equality for everyone. It is the other side that fits that description better. 

Thursday 14th November 2024 was an important day in New Zealand's history. The Treaty Principles Bill 2024 (TPB) passed it's first reading in the House of Parliament. A bill that seeks to clarify the constitutional interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document. The original Treaty was written in both English and Maori, and that is the source of much of the disagreement. Maori interpret the Maori version to say they did not cede sovereignty, while the English version specifically says that they do. The official wording of the Treaty of Waitangi in both languages can be read here: https://lnkd.in/gM4vGqEB. A law to officially interpret the Treaty was passed by parliament back in 1975, however in the years since then, the interpretation has changed and evolved through case law. Currently there are different interpretations applied by different government departments. The Treaty Principles Bill 2024 asks for a consistent interpretation of the Treaty which can be used throughout government. For those who want to be more informed on the issues being debated, the Treaty Principles Bill 2024 can be read here: https://lnkd.in/gcHpZTnV

Max, I think we need to consider a few fundamentals: (1) Do we believe that there is only one category of NZ citizenship or are we tolerant of a quasi-apartheid system in which we differentiate between citizens based on elements of ethnicity; (2) Do we consider the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1980) - then a treaty can only be agreed between two States. This raises the question of whether the approximately 100 Maori tribes which signed the Treaty of Waitangi could be considered to constitute a state, even under the declarative theory of statehood as per article 3 of the Montevideo Convention 1933;

An insightful discussion of the journey te Tiriti has taken so far...

What is a Treaty? Treaties are binding agreements that set out the rights, responsibilities and relationships between Indigenous Nations and governments. Although many treaties were signed more than a century ago, treaty commitments are just as valid today as they were then. Everyone living in Canada is a treaty person whether they are Indigenous or non-Indigenous. Treaty relationships define mutual responsibilities to uphold Indigenous rights and to advance reconciliation. https://lnkd.in/dyX2JNs #TreatyON #TreatiesRecognitionWeek

Declaration and public notice of the Treaty Authority. Through the Treaty process the treaty Authority will make public notifications to ensure the public are aware of important milestones and events. The Treaty Authority gives notice, in accordance with clause 21.4(b) of the Treaty Negotiation Framework, that the State of Victoria has been entered onto the Negotiations Database for Statewide Treaty Negotiations.  Statewide Treaty will be negotiated between the State of Victoria and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria.  On 23 October 2024, the State notified the Treaty Authority of its compliance with the Minimum Standards and fulfilment of the Additional Preparations. The State’s Notification includes information about how it meets the Minimum Standards and has fulfilled the Additional Preparations relating to Land and Waters, Community, Leadership and Inclusivity. With the entry of the State onto the Negotiations Database, negotiations for a Statewide Treaty between the State and the Assembly have now begun (clause 21.4(c), Treaty Negotiation Framework). The next step is for the Assembly and the State to agree Negotiations Protocols. Read the public notice here: https://lnkd.in/gGJkCkqF

We've just released this Treaty Principles explainer to support understanding and action.

Government changes to the Treaty commitments – what’s happening and what you can do Most New Zealanders want to make sure the people we elect to represent us are making decisions with everyone’s best interests in mind. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is an inclusive agreement for all New Zealanders. It provides us with a foundation of ongoing peace and mutual benefit. The principles of the Treaty have become an important part of how the agreement of Te Tiriti is upheld by government. Any review of government Treaty principles should follow a principled approach to ensure good governance and respectful Te Tiriti relationships. As a follow up to our Te Tiriti explainer and Te Tiriti conversation guide, we’ve created this succinct resource. It provides trustworthy information about Treaty Principles and actions you can take in response to recent government changes to its Te Tiriti commitments. Read here: https://lnkd.in/g92RYjTM

The date Thursday 14th November 2024 will go down as an important day in New Zealand's history. The Treaty Principles Bill 2024 (TPB) passed it's first reading in the House of Parliament. A bill that seeks to clarify the constitutonal interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document. A similar previous law passed in 1975 also instructed the government how to interpret and enact the Treaty however since then the interpretation has changed and evolved through case law. It is important for all government departments and laws to have a consistent interpretation of the Treaty for the proper functioning of society. I applaud and thank David Seymour for his bravery and honor in presenting the bill and for those MPs who voted to pass it to it's second reading.For those who want to be more informed on the issues being debated, the Treaty Principles Bill can be read here: https://lnkd.in/gcHpZTnV - it us just 6 pages long. The official wording of the Treaty of Waitangi can be read here: https://lnkd.in/gM4vGqEB - this is also only a few pages