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Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Ele Ludemann: Fuss creating fuss


The fuss over the Treaty Principles Bill is creating a lot more fuss than it ought to.

If opponents ignored it, it would be getting a fraction of the publicity it is but the Māori and Green Parties and at least some in Labour see it as an opportunity to attract supporters.

If they ignored it, it would go to select committee, and quietly die when National and New Zealand First don’t support it at the second reading.

But the opponents see an opportunity to further their agendas.

What they don’t see is that their hard-line stance is hardening support for the Bill.

It will die at the second reading but support for taking the definition of the treaty principles away from non-elected lawyers, judges, and academics and having it in the hands of politicians won’t go away.

Several commentators accuse the Bill’s architect David Seymour of using the issue to garner support for his party. Those opposing it are doing the same and in the process are alienating other potential supporters.

Opponents don’t see that their hard-line response isn’t just hardening support for the Bill, it will make it much, much harder for parties on the left to get back in to government.

Ele Ludemann is a North Otago farmer and journalist, who blogs HERE - where this article was sourced.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Many have forgotten the fact that there is no bad publicity! Now there is hardly a person in NZ that hasn’t heard that the courts are overstepping their boundaries and that party activists demand preferential treatment.

anonymous said...

Anon. at 1.02 pm is right. The Bill will not pass but its impact on NZ politics could be massive - both in the next years till 2026 and beyond. It may be impossible for Mr Luxon et al. to ignore it - try as they might. Let us wait and see.......

Anonymous said...

This will be short - I agree with Ele, and the two previous comments. I cannot see a society that treats some citizens more equal than others surviving, at least in its current form. Safety belts on, this ride might become rough.

Basil Walker said...

I suggest readers search and understand the NZF & National coalition agreement and they will find NZF requires a full analysis of the Treaty of Waitangi , its principles and partnership claim in this term . As for the comments that the Bill will die, that is as misplaced as the NON comment by media et al about NZF and the TOW in the coalition agreement . The Treaty Priniples Bill could easily outlast the PM in parliament because the TPB has integrity.

Anonymous said...

I could be mistaken Basil, but I understood the coalition agreement was to look into the Waitangi Tribunal only, not the T o W?

Anonymous said...

I agree Basil and I get quite angry with media and other commentators who categorically say the Bill will not proceed.

Basil Walker said...

Anon 11:33 . Not argument but only to clarify, I reread the; Coalition Agreement between the National Party and New Zealand First Party. page 10/15 and under Equal Citizenship;
- Amend the Waitangi Tribunal legislation to refocus the scope, purpose ,and nature of its inquiries back to the original intent of the legislation.

- Conduct a comprehensive review of all legislation ( except when it is related to , or substantive to, existing full and final Treaty settlements ) that includes the "Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi" and replace all such references with specific words relating to the relevance and application of the Treaty , or repeal the references

Personally I firmly believe the ACT Treaty Principles Bill has been grossly misreported and the intent and wording of the NZF and National Coalition Agreement should actually be of more concern to the people who oppose the ACT Party - Treaty Principles Bill.
Secondly as PM Luxon has stated there is NOTHING (my emphasis)
he likes in the ACT Bill it will be strange if he supports the NZF Bill.