On Friday, thousands of people marched in New Zealand's capital Wellington to commemorate the Treaty of Waitangi, an 1840 treaty between the British Empire and Maori chiefs that governs policy matters relating to Indigenous peoples to this day. ) protested against a bill that would reinterpret the law.
The principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are: introduced Over the last week, the ACT New Zealand Party has criticized what it calls special privileges given to Māori. This treaty guarantees Maori control over Maori land and has a major influence on New Zealand law.
Many Maori people, who make up around 20% of New Zealand's population, oppose the new bill, and there is little support among other members of the ruling coalition. Many New Zealanders believe that understanding the current treaties is essential to righting colonial injustices and ensuring Māori have a fair place in modern society.
Broadly summarized, the Convention has three core principles, or the “3 Ps”, which stand for partnership, participation and protection. Since the 1970s, this has translated into large-scale land settlements for Māori, guaranteed participation in both local and central government, and social welfare programs.
“What all these principles have in common is that they give Māori different rights than other New Zealanders.” claimed ACT leader David Seymour, the author of the controversial new bill, is himself Maori.
The ACT bill proposes to replace the traditional “three Ps” with three new principles. The New Zealand government has full rights to govern all its people and make laws, Māori rights are fully respected by the Crown, and all people are equal. before the law.
The bill would also address long-standing criticisms of the Treaty of Waitangi. The treaty was written in both English and Māori, and as Māori written language was still quite young at the time, some of its provisions could be interpreted very differently in the two languages.
Mr Seymour insists his bill only guarantees equal rights for all New Zealanders. Critics fear the new bill will destroy much of the government infrastructure built around Māori people and create sharp social divisions.
ACT was a relatively small party, winning just 9% of the vote in the last election, but its support was essential for the larger National Party to stay in power. This gave Mr. Seymour enough influence, if only temporarily, to bring his bill to the attention of Congress.
ACT's coalition partners, the National Party and New Zealand First, essentially agreed They submit the bill to Congress, but do not vote in favor of it. Nationalist Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he would not support the bill beyond its “first reading,” or introduction. The bill must pass three readings before being brought to the floor for a vote.
On Thursday, the first reading proved highly controversial. Māori MPs hurled abuse at Seymour, told him to be ashamed of himself, tore copies of the bill to shreds, and then rallied to shut down Parliament. fool, A ritual in which the Maori go to war.
Depending on one's opinion of the bill and its opponents, this is either a stirring demonstration of solidarity by an oppressed minority, or an offensive display of theater unbecoming of a civilized legislature. Either. Both voices were essential on social media, both in New Zealand and around the world.
Speaker Gerry Brownlee didn't seem to be enjoying the show and briefly removed Maori MP Willie Jackson for calling Seymour a liar. shut down After some spectators in the audience joined in their support, the parliamentary proceedings proceeded.
Mr Brownlee suspended the instigator of the chant, Hana Rafiti Maipi-Clark, the youngest current member of New Zealand's parliament, for one day.
Seymour remained hopeful that he could muster enough support to keep the bill alive. blame His opponents “stoke” fear and division to silence debate. The bill ultimately passed first reading, but most parliamentary observers doubted it would receive further consideration.
opponents of the bill launched A protest march, Hikoi, A few days before reading. The march drew up to about 5,000 participants as it passed through Auckland on Wednesday.
police Estimation The march had reached up to 10,000 people by the time it reached the town of Rotorua, about 450 miles north of Wellington, on Thursday. In Rotorua, hundreds of supporters waved Maori flags and shouted as demonstrators passed by.
BBC noticed The Treaty of Waitangi Principles Bill was already under strain following a series of government actions affecting Māori, including the closure of the Māori Health Authority, which was established under Jacinda Ardern's Labor government to deliver health equity. Submitted in the environment. English is preferred over Māori when it comes to official naming of government agencies. ”
of diplomat noticed On Friday, Mr. Seymour had another card to play. If he concludes that Parliament has not given his bill a fair consideration, he could try to pass it in a referendum.
This is bad for New Zealand's social cohesion, as recent opinion polls show the public is almost evenly split between supporters of the bill, ardent opponents and those undecided. It could be a disaster. The referendum is non-binding, so if lawmakers continue to ignore it, they could alienate everyone who voted in favor.
