‘The Crown is sovereign,’ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon tells Parliament

By RNZ

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has told Parliament he believes Māori ceded sovereignty to the Crown.

During Question Time, Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick pushed him on the issue multiple times, asking, “does the Prime Minister believe that Māori ceded sovereignty?”

Luxon responded, saying “our position is the Crown is sovereign”.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters interjected, citing prominent former Māori MP Sir Apirana Ngata from 1922.

“Is it a fact that, 102 years ago in a major thesis, Sir Āpirana Ngata set out the very circumstances of the Treaty, and he said that Māori ceded sovereignty.”

“As I said, our position is the Crown is sovereign,” repeated Luxon, “and also, importantly, the Treaty of Waitangi has protections in there for both Crown and Māori interests.”

Swarbrick repeated her question: “Are we to take from that answer that the Prime Minister believes that Māori ceded sovereignty?”

Luxon replied, saying he did not know how he could be clearer in answer to the first question.

Swarbrick then asked Luxon directly when Māori ceded sovereignty.

Luxon responded by saying the Treaty of Waitangi was the founding document of New Zealand and it had protection for Māori and Crown interests.

“But as I said to you, the position is very clear, the Crown, Māori ceded sovereignty to the Crown.”

Swarbrick also referenced a Waitangi Tribunal finding from 10 years ago that “the rangatira [chiefs] who signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi in February 1840 did not cede their sovereignty to Britain”.