Upheaval in the House after haka holds up vote on Treaty Principles Bill – and one Maori Party “no” vote was not counted
Associate Justice Minister David Seymour a week ago welcomed the introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill to Parliament and said it would have its first reading today.
We therefore were waiting patiently for a press statement today in which he welcomed the bill being given its first reading and – after a Parliamentary vote – sent to the Justice Select Committee to hear public submissions.
But political buffs who were tuned into the broadcast of Parliamentary proceedings found the sounds of robust debate of the bill and a call for a party vote had turned to soothing music.
A bit of angry procedural how’s-your-father had prompted the Speaker to suspend proceedings.
As RNZ reported:
Parliament has been suspended before the Treaty Principles Bill vote went through on Thursday afternoon.
Te Pāti Māori’s Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke interrupted the vote on the Treaty Principles Bill’s first reading with a haka taken up by members of the opposition and people in the public gallery.
A neat stunt, eh?
A loud haka and much upheaval at a critical time in the Parliamentary process can delay a bill, even though it is a bill which seems likely to achieve no more than provide a platform for public debate on the highly contentious “principles” that have been drawn up in recent years without reference to Parliament.
When proceedings resumed the Speaker “named” the belligerent Maipi-Clarke.
“Naming” is a serious penalty for disorder and Rawhiti Maiapi-Clark’s “no” was not counted when the vote was declared and the bill was sent to the select committee.
Before the end of the afternoon sitting of the House, the press statement we were expecting was at last posted:
Treaty Principles Bill passes first reading
Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says all New Zealanders will now be able to have their say on the Treaty Principles Bill after it passed its first reading and was sent to the Justice Committee to be considered.
“I look forward to seeing what Kiwis have to say on the Bill over the six month select committee process,” says Mr Seymour.
“The select committee process will finally democratise the debate over the Treaty which has until this point been dominated by a small number of judges, senior public servants, academics, and politicians.
“Parliament introduced the concept of the Treaty principles into law in 1975 but did not define them. As a result, the courts and the Waitangi Tribunal have been able to develop principles that have been used to justify actions that are contrary to the principle of equal rights. Those actions include co-governance in the delivery of public services, ethnic quotas in public institutions, and consultation based on background.
“The principles of the Treaty are not going away. Either Parliament can define them, or the courts will continue to meddle in this area of critical political and constitutional importance. The purpose of the Treaty Principles Bill is for Parliament to define the principles of the Treaty, provide certainty and clarity, and promote a national conversation about their place in our constitutional arrangements.
“The Bill will not alter or amend the Treaty itself. It will be used to assist with the interpretation of legislation where Treaty principles would normally be considered relevant, in addition to legislation that refers to Treaty principles directly.
“Far from being a divisive document, the Treaty is a powerful guide for New Zealand’s future, establishing that all New Zealanders have equal rights, and that the government has a duty to protect those rights.
“I believe all New Zealanders deserve tino rangatiratanga – the right to self-determination. That all human beings are alike in dignity. The Treaty Principles Bill would give all New Zealanders equality before the law, so that we can go forward as one people with one set of rights.
“I am looking forward to this important national conversation about the place of the Treaty in our constitutional arrangements.”
By the time it was posted on the Government’s official website, several other press statements had been posted there, too:
A bit of angry procedural how’s-your-father had prompted the Speaker to suspend proceedings.
As RNZ reported:
Parliament has been suspended before the Treaty Principles Bill vote went through on Thursday afternoon.
Te Pāti Māori’s Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke interrupted the vote on the Treaty Principles Bill’s first reading with a haka taken up by members of the opposition and people in the public gallery.
A neat stunt, eh?
A loud haka and much upheaval at a critical time in the Parliamentary process can delay a bill, even though it is a bill which seems likely to achieve no more than provide a platform for public debate on the highly contentious “principles” that have been drawn up in recent years without reference to Parliament.
When proceedings resumed the Speaker “named” the belligerent Maipi-Clarke.
“Naming” is a serious penalty for disorder and Rawhiti Maiapi-Clark’s “no” was not counted when the vote was declared and the bill was sent to the select committee.
Before the end of the afternoon sitting of the House, the press statement we were expecting was at last posted:
Treaty Principles Bill passes first reading
Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says all New Zealanders will now be able to have their say on the Treaty Principles Bill after it passed its first reading and was sent to the Justice Committee to be considered.
“I look forward to seeing what Kiwis have to say on the Bill over the six month select committee process,” says Mr Seymour.
“The select committee process will finally democratise the debate over the Treaty which has until this point been dominated by a small number of judges, senior public servants, academics, and politicians.
“Parliament introduced the concept of the Treaty principles into law in 1975 but did not define them. As a result, the courts and the Waitangi Tribunal have been able to develop principles that have been used to justify actions that are contrary to the principle of equal rights. Those actions include co-governance in the delivery of public services, ethnic quotas in public institutions, and consultation based on background.
“The principles of the Treaty are not going away. Either Parliament can define them, or the courts will continue to meddle in this area of critical political and constitutional importance. The purpose of the Treaty Principles Bill is for Parliament to define the principles of the Treaty, provide certainty and clarity, and promote a national conversation about their place in our constitutional arrangements.
“The Bill will not alter or amend the Treaty itself. It will be used to assist with the interpretation of legislation where Treaty principles would normally be considered relevant, in addition to legislation that refers to Treaty principles directly.
“Far from being a divisive document, the Treaty is a powerful guide for New Zealand’s future, establishing that all New Zealanders have equal rights, and that the government has a duty to protect those rights.
“I believe all New Zealanders deserve tino rangatiratanga – the right to self-determination. That all human beings are alike in dignity. The Treaty Principles Bill would give all New Zealanders equality before the law, so that we can go forward as one people with one set of rights.
“I am looking forward to this important national conversation about the place of the Treaty in our constitutional arrangements.”
By the time it was posted on the Government’s official website, several other press statements had been posted there, too:
Latest from the Beehive
14 November 2024
Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says all New Zealanders will now be able to have their say on the Treaty Principles Bill after it passed its first reading and was sent to the Justice Committee to be considered.
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Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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