Act leader David Seymour has a goliath task to get his Treaty Principles Bill over the line - Editorial

Yesterday's Herald. Image / Herald Graphics

Editorial

EDITORIAL

Christianity came out in force yesterday to show its disgust at Act leader David Seymour’s Treaty of Waitangi Principles Bill - which will be given a first, and they are hoping a last, reading in November.

Church leaders from all denominations denounced Seymour’s bill as divisive, treacherous and dangerous. They have given it the big thumbs down and want it hung out to rot at the altar of Parliament.

“It is beyond grievous that David Seymour is intentionally pitching the sacredness of Te Tiriti O Waitangi and the significance of democracy against each other,” said Reverend Jay Ruka, Taranaki Cathedral dean.

Act leader David Seymour. Photo / Marty Melville

“He is tricking New Zealanders into thinking that to honour our founding contract is to demerit democratic representation. This is a lie. As a Christian leader, I steadfastly oppose this falsity. The Treaty Principles Bill is holding our nation in contempt.”

Theologian and historian Dr Alistair Reese was even more scathing.

“It would have been more socially responsible if the drafters of this bill had experimented with their iconoclastic interpretations elsewhere. They are like those who pick the scabs on an unhealed wound – exposing our nation’s scars to further infection and the wounded to further trauma.”

The preaching from the pulpits was quite cutting and to anyone but a Member of Parliament might have swayed them. But unfortunately, the open letter has likely fallen on not deaf, but rubber ears.

The views by the 400-plus Christian leaders will not sway Seymour one iota - it might garner him more support.

“The bottom line is that we believe that all citizens should have equal rights, not equal rights for some based on their ancestry.

“The Treaty Principles Bill and proposed referendum are needed to ensure a healthy debate on whether our future lies with different rights based on ancestry, or whether we want to be a modern, multi-ethnic liberal democracy where every New Zealander has the same rights.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Seymour went further on his X - formerly Twitter - account, saying Christian leadership should be supporting his bill, and then attacked the church for declining attendance. He was baptised as a child but is not a regular churchgoer.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has repeatedly said Seymour’s bill will be supported to its first reading and then killed off.

What many would like is for Luxon to show leadership and act as the late Kīngi Tūheitia wished and show kotahitanga in action - kill this bill immediately.

That way we can concentrate on the real issues like poverty, poor housing and people’s health. The Treaty Principles Bill is continuing to be a sideshow.