Geoff Parker: Why Hipkins’ Treaty Romanticism Divides New Zealand

Chris Hipkins’ Waitangi Day sermon in the New Zealand Herald is a carefully constructed exercise in political reassurance: warm words, borrowed Māori concepts, and a curated sense of moral superiority. What it is not, however, is a serious account of how a modern liberal democracy actually holds together — or why New Zealand is becoming more fractured, not less.

Let’s start with the basics. The country is called New Zealand. It is a civic nation with a settled name. Prior to European contact there was no Māori concept of a single nation, and no name for the country as a whole. The name New Zealand dates back to 1643, when it was formally named Nieuw Zeelandt by the Dutch. It was later anglicised to New Zealand by the British, and has remained the country’s recognised name for nearly 380 years. “Aotearoa,” by contrast, is a modern substitute, absent from the Treaty of Waitangi itself.

Geoff Parker: What Tribal Governance Would Mean for Ordinary Māori

Why concentrating power in tribal institutions may leave ordinary Māori worse off

When people talk about “tribal control” or “iwi-based governance” of New Zealand, it often sounds abstract - even empowering. The language is about rangatiratanga, partnership, and self-determination. But for the average Māori on the street - someone with a job, a family, and often mixed ancestry — the practical question is simple: how would this actually work for me?