Kīngitanga spokesman Rahui Papa highlighted issues with current legislation and emphasised collaboration with Māoridom.
The Government walked side-by-side with its political opponents in a pōwhiri at Rātana – but a theme of the day was not the unity of Parliament but the unity of Māori and the Crown, with one leader saying Māoridom was at its “highest level of concern” for many years.
Speakers from both sides of the paepae spoke about how the parties needed to work better together and touched on the impact of current policies, particularly the Treaty Principles Bill.
“We have made a statement that that bill is dead on the water,” NZ First leader Winston Peters said in his speech.
“So, why would there be complaints and concerns if it is never going to pass the first reading? It is convenient for some people to hyperventilate their supporters on a fraud and a fiction, so to speak.”
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters speaking at the annual Rātana celebrations near Whanganui. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Hundreds of thousands of people have provided written submissions to Parliament’s justice select committee on the bill. Oral submissions start on Monday with the bill’s architect, Act leader David Seymour.
Act was the only political party not represented at Rātana. Kīngitanga spokesman Rahui Papa thanked those parliamentarians who did show their faces before stating before PM Christopher Luxon, National MPs and members of the Opposition that there were many “acts of Parliament that are causing consternation – actually, quite a few, Prime Minister".
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks at the annual Rātana celebrations near Whanganui. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Papa mentioned the “redesign” of the Waitangi Tribunal. Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka announced eight new appointments to the tribunal last week and highlighted their private and commercial sector expertise.
At the time, Te Pāti Māori labelled the new appointments a “whitewash” and accused Potaka of removing some of Te Ao Māori’s greatest thinkers and replacing them with pale, stale males.
Speaking on the paepae at Rātana, Papa said: “There are other pieces of legislation going through the house that seek to minimise the participation of Te Tiriti of Waitangi. There are a number of things.
“We keenly listened, Prime Minister, to the State of the Nation speeches that were held over the last couple of days. Well, I’m here to tell you that the state of the Māori nation is at the highest level of concern that it has been for a whole lot of years.”
Throughout his speech, Papa spoke about the importance of collaboration between the Government and Māoridom, telling the Prime Minister: “It’s not about your way or the highway.
“It’s about working together for the betterment of all.”
Shane Jones implored those gathered to “please remember there are examples where we have worked together on essential infrastructure, let’s not overlook that”.
“Let’s not get stuck completely in the rut of where there are inevitable political differences and political difficulties because ideas often clash. Search for those areas where we do have a lot in common.”
He too addressed the Treaty Principles Bill – “the bill that has created all the angst, and [on which] gallons of ink has been spilt” – but said the legislation would “not be supported by the party Winston [Peters] and I belong to”.
NZ First MP Shane Jones speaks at the annual Rātana celebrations near Whanganui. Photo / Mark Mitchell. 24/1/25
“Please don’t exhaust any more angst on a bill that will never see the light of day.”
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, MP for Te Tai Hauāuru, was seated on the host side for the speeches. Speaking to reporters after the pōwhiri, she said those sitting around her wanted to know why the Government had agreed to support the bill to its first reading.
“We had the Government stand up and assure us, and they have, to be fair, the whole way through they have assured us that they will vote the bill down. But where I was sitting, which was second row from the paepae, everyone was saying, ‘Well, why? Why did you agree to it?’
“A lot of the speeches didn’t float. You hear all the men speaking on the paepae but actually from where I sit, the woman and the noise and the emphasis that they are making is what really sets the theme.”
Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.
