How to make a submission against the Treaty Principles Bill

The mahi continues!

Phew! What an amazing hīkoi! Nine days of kotahitanga, manaaki, and beautiful unity. Now we must keep the momentum going. Please share this, or any post that helps folks make a submission against the Treaty Principals Bill. If you have any questions I’ll try to find answers for you! Please share in the comments links to other guides or share what you put in your submission!

The first thing you need to know is that this doesn’t take a heap of time. The longer and more thoughtful your submission the more powerful it will be - but what matters most is that you submit. And if you’re time poor - you can do this in under five minutes. Even two or three sentences is better than nothing.

Before we start, remember:

• Submissions are publicly released and published on the Parliament website. Do not put your name or address or any personal details you don’t want to be made public within the submission.

• If you wish to include information of a private or personal nature in your submission you can call the clerk on 04 817 9520 or email ju@parliament.govt.nz

• You can request to speak at the select committee - just say clearly that you want to.

• If you cannot write a submission - I can help to organise someone to meet you or call you to be a reader/writer for your submission.

• You can write your submission in English or te reo Māori.

Ok let’s go!

Step one: Click here - then click the button that says ‘I am ready to make my submission’.

Step two: Fill out the page. Oral submission means - ‘spoken in front of the committee’. Then press ‘next’. Carefully fill out your contact details - these must be correct or your submission may be voided. Your contact details will not be published, but your name will be.

Step three: You can write your submission in advance and upload it as a pdf, .doc, .docx, or .txt file. Or you can just type directly into the submissions portal where it says ‘I/We wish to make the following comments’.

Now here’s some advice on what to write

Under ‘I/We wish to make the following comments’ you may wish to include any of the following points but the most important thing to do is to start with this sentence: I strongly oppose the Principles of the Treaty Bill.

Then you can say whatever you like. The most important thing is that each submission made is a bit different - so try to use your own words, or a mix of the points below.

• This bill is divisive and has caused harm to the Māori/Crown relationship.

• Removing tino rangatiratanga from the Treaty Principles ends the distinct legal status of Māori as the indigenous people of Aotearoa.

• It is an attempt to use Parliament's power to weaken our country’s constitutional foundation and to undermine the role of the courts. 

• If the principles of Te Tiriti are redefined it would limit Māori rights as well as Crown obligations.

• Changes to the principles will hinder Māori access to justice, and quality healthcare.

• This bill has already undermined social cohesion and a referendum will do irreparable harm at a time when the government has already been trying to remove Te Reo Māori and Māori representation from the public sector and schools.

• The bill reduces the constitutional status of the treaty which means it is already in breach of the current principles.

• A Waitangi Tribunal report says “if this bill were to be enacted, it would be the worst, most comprehensive breach of the Treaty … in modern times”.

• The Tribunal has also said “If the bill remained on the statute book for a considerable time or was never repealed, it could mean the end of the Treaty.”

• This bill panders to a dangerous, reactionary fringe.

• The bill is based on a disingenuous historical narrative that implies Māori were happy to give up their rights to the Crown.

• You cannot re-write a Treaty while deliberately excluding your treaty partner. The crown does not have the authority to redefine Te Tiriti.

• The Bill does not reflect any credible interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi, te Tiriti o Waitangi, or the principles based in either text.  - This is a great one from The Green Party website - you can read their submission guide here.

Under ‘I/We wish to make the following recommendations’ you may wish to include any of the following points but the most important thing to do is to start with this sentence: The Principles of the Treaty Bill should be abandoned.

Then you can write a few sentences on what you think should happen next. Here are some ideas:

• The bill has already cost this country dearly in both damaged relationships and trust and in financial terms.

• Millions has already been spent on a bill that is supported by only two minor parties. A referendum, during a cost of living crisis, is an insult to New Zealanders. There must not be a referendum.

• This bill solves nothing at a time when New Zealanders are struggling financially with rising unemployment and facing enormous problems like Climate Change and a struggling health system. This bill distracts us from addressing these real issues, by encouraging us to use our limited energy on manufactured distractions. The government must focus on the real issues facing New Zealanders instead of race baiting.

• It is not enough to just agree not to change the wording of the original Te Tiriti O Waitangi. Changing the principles of Te Tiriti will impact how it is interpreted in law which is the same thing.

• The government must commit to making right what they have broken - there must be a commitment to ongoing reconciliation.

• The government must publicly and vocally support and commit to upholding Te Tiriti principals.

On the final page you will see your submission so you can read over it and make sure you’re happy with it. You can edit from this page if you need to.

Read the privacy statement and tick ‘I confirm I have read Privacy Statement set out above’.

Then click submit. Easy! You’ll get a confirmation in your email. If you don’t - it may mean your submission didn’t go through.

You’re all done!

Want to host a submissions party? It’s super easy to do.

In our whare we call camembert and brie ‘guest cheese’.

STEP ONE: Buy some crackers and guest cheese.

STEP TWO: Invite all your mates over.

STEP THREE: Set up your laptop on the submissions page.

STEP FOUR: Don’t allow anyone to have any cheese until they’ve made a submission. Print out this guide if they need help!

STEP FIVE: Eat the guest cheese and party knowing you did your bit to stick it to the Act racists.

The closing date for submissions is 11.59pm Tuesday, 07 January 2025