NZ First former MP Shane Jones speaks to a remit under the eye of another former MP Mark Patterson at the party's conference in Christchurch. Photo / Adam Pearse
NZ First former MP Shane Jones speaks to a remit under the eye of another former MP Mark Patterson at the party's conference in Christchurch. Photo / Adam Pearse
New Zealand First members have voted in favour of a review to repeal references to the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi in legislation except in some circumstances.
Party members have gathered again in Christchurch for day two of NZ First's conference where they will debate 34 remits that will become the party's priorities should it enter coalition discussions if it's successful in next year's election.
It precedes Winston Peters' leader's address this afternoon, where it is expected Peters will lay out his plan for the economy, education and other areas.
Among remits concerning education, youth crime, agriculture and housing, racial equality and co-governance were prominent.
Party members from Whangārei introduced the remit outlining the desire to review all legislation to repeal treaty references "except when related to statutory, full and final settlements".
Former MP and Northlander Shane Jones supported the move but noted the exception included items such as the Ngāi Tahu settlement which he said would be "unwise to unwind".
Jones said Northland representatives, from the home of the treaty, were concerned by the "fad" of adding treaty references into legislation.
"It's the view of the north that it is not adding one inch or one ounce of value and we need to call time on it."
NZ First president Julian Paul speaks to a remit about a "recruitment hyperdrive" of frontline public sector employees. Photo / Adam Pearse
Members from the Coromandel later introduced the motion to "entrench [the party's] policy stance of one country, one flag, one vote - one person, one law for all New Zealanders, and reject separatist, apartheid framed, racist co-governance ideology.
"This remit will unite New Zealand First, this remit will unite New Zealand and when implemented, New Zealand will unite into one country, one people, one law," Coromandel's Fiaola Siatu'u said.
The remit was carried following an amendment to remove the reference to apartheid.
Coromandel electorate chairman Gilbert James said the remit was proposed a year ago but was not discussed because it was believed to be "too controversial", James suspected.
However, James said that position had since changed within the party's leadership who enabled the topic to be debated.
James said he introduced the remit because he believed the party had "drifted away from its core values".
Party members also voted to give English the same legal status as Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language by making it an official language.
All 18 remits raised this morning were approved. Only two items required a show of hands in what was a robust but generally uncontested remit session in comparison with previous conferences.
NZ First members meet to discuss the remits that will form the party's policy priorities. Photo / Adam Pearse
Regarding youth crime, members voted to explore more funding and use of the NZ Defence Force-run Limited Service Volunteer bootcamp for repeat youth offenders.
They also approved an investigation into the establishment of a new ministerial portfolio to oversee a specific youth crime unit to eliminate current "communication and responsibility silos" across police, Oranga Tamariki, Justice and the Ministry of Social Development.
Members heard a personal account from former MP Mahesh Bindra about three instances of assault while working in Corrections, which had informed a remit ensuring a minimum mandatory prison sentence for anyone who "seriously assaults" a first responder while on duty.
The final remit discussed in the morning session was whether to revoke Labour and National's housing intensification plan, allowing three-storey apartments to be built in urban areas without resource consent.
While a handful of members pointed out the current need for housing, the majority of those who spoke referenced their concerns on the quality of what was being built and their proximity to state housing and it was subsequently approved.
