President Joe Biden addresses the American people after Trump's victory and widespread calls to drop the Treaty Principles Bill.
Act leader David Seymour has criticised National politicians for their aversion to tackle “hard issues” after the introduction of his controversial Treaty Principles Bill.
Seymour’s bill – which proposes replacing the many current Treaty principles with three new ones – has been the subject of fierce criticism. Seymour says the purpose of the bill is to provide certainty and clarity around the principles.
Seymour told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking that he refuted claims the bill was dead post the first reading.
He laid down somewhat of a challenge to the National Party, saying he had made multiple offers to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to “jump on the wagon”.
“I think the National Party is afraid of taking on hard issues.”
“Ultimately we are democratising the Treaty ... we are saying anyone gets a say in our constitutional future.
“There has become this idea that the Treaty is a partnership so therefore everything becomes about your identity and which side of the partnership you are on.
“Until we remove the underlying idea that our Treaty is a partnership between races and we each have a different role in our society based on our background, those policies will all be back in the stroke of a pen.”
He said the bill has produced a “difficult debate” on whether the Treaty allows people to have equal rights or provides a partnership based on identity.
“If I am completely wrong and it never gets past the first reading, all that happens is that we produce the idea that each New Zealander has the right to have a say about their constitutional future.
“My ultimate challenge to those who oppose this bill … where in the world has dividing people up based on this background been a success?”
The legislation was unveiled yesterday and included changes – narrowed wording – to one of the principles originally agreed on by Parliament in September.
Ahead of the bill’s introduction, between 70-100 protesters gathered outside Parliament with banners saying, “Kill the Treaty Principles Bill”
Protesters gather outside Parliament in opposition to the Treaty Principles Bill. Photo / Julia Gabel
Green Party of Aotearoa activist Kaya Sparke was among the protesters outside the Act offices in Epsom. Photo / Carson Bluck
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, “You tell them, Rawiri,” when Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi raised a point of order.
