Geoff Parker: Claire Charters’ Constitutional Revolution — The Case She Still Has To Prove

Professor Claire Charters is making a sweeping and consequential claim. In her new book, Sovereignty: The Case for Constitutional Transformation, she argues that New Zealand’s constitutional foundations are “unjust, illegitimate, illegal” and require fundamental transformation.

After listening to her interview with Simon Mercep, however, I am left wondering whether she has actually proved her case.

Geoff Parker: One Law For All Is Not An Attack On Maori

Noel O’Malley’s argument that ACT’s “One Law for All with One Future Together” policy is a disguised programme of assimilation rests on a remarkable inversion of the meaning of equality.

There is nothing inherently threatening about saying that every New Zealander should have the same rights, the same obligations and the same protection under the law. Indeed, that principle lies at the heart of a democratic society.

Geoff Parker: Kotahitanga — Unity, Or Division By Another Name?

Metiria Turei's argument (Otago Daily Times, 4/9/26) for kotahitanga (unity) begins with a proposition few New Zealanders would disagree with: that people should work together, respect one another and build a better country for everyone.

So far, so good.

But then comes the sleight of hand.

Geoff Parker: Equality Is Not Racism, and Disagreement Is Not an Attack on Democracy

Metiria Turei's paywalled column in the Otago Daily Times 21/8/26, Hypocrisy and racism abounds in Parliament, is a familiar exercise in political inversion.

According to Turei, opposition to Māori electorates, criticism of Māori-specific policies, and attempts to restore the same democratic rules for all New Zealanders are evidence of hypocrisy, racism and an assault on constitutional democracy.

Colinxy: The Origins of Equality - A Genealogy of an Idea That Took Millennia to Mature

Equality is one of those concepts that modern politics treats as self‑evident, universal, and morally compulsory. Yet the road to equality is anything but straightforward. It took thousands of years for the idea to even form, let alone become politically actionable. And even today, we fight over what equality means: equality of opportunity versus equality of outcomes (now rebranded as equity). For readers wanting the deeper dive into that modern conflict, see my earlier piece: The Equalities: Merit, Marxism, and the War Over Fairness.

The Leighton Smith Podcast: Dr Muriel Newman on this year's hugely consequential general election

Leighton Smith and Dr Muriel Newman discuss the ongoing constitutional shift toward iwi influence, co-governance and race-based policies. In this election year, New Zealand is arguably facing its biggest challenge to date.

Click to listen - Audio

Peter Williams: Citizenship, Whakapapa and Equality Before the Law

Maybe second generation citizenship is worthwhile - but for everybody

The Waitangi Tribunal has recommended that citizenship by descent be extended to two generations — but only for people of Māori descent. On the surface, it presents as a technical correction to outdated law. In reality, it risks creating two classes of New Zealanders and undermining one of the foundations of modern democracy: equality before the law.

Steven Gaskell: The Great Treaty “Principles” Mirage

The Government’s plan to review Treaty clauses isn’t an attack on Maori - it’s a defence of democracy.

A Breach of What Exactly?

So, apparently, the Waitangi Tribunal has decided the Government’s review of Treaty clauses in 23 laws is a breach of the Treaty itself. How dare anyone tamper with the sacred text or rather, the sacred principles of a text that never actually mentioned any principles in the first place.

Pee Kay: Have you heard of these 3 people?

> Brendan J Duffy ONZM, JP
> Bonita Bigham
> Dr. Sue Bidrose

Steven Gaskell: When “One Law for All” Becomes the Problem

https://shorturl.at/DxqkP

Apparently, human rights in New Zealand are no longer the solution they’re the enemy. At least, that’s the gospel according to Associate Professor Andrew Erueti, who’s discovered a shocking new injustice: the principle of equality is getting in the way of Māori sovereignty claims.

Dr Don Brash: Equality is not a dirty word

Surely, in a liberal democracy, there are few words more chilling to read written in earnest than the “flawed concept of ‘equality’”. But there they were, in print, in an opinion piece by the National Urban Māori Authority’s Lady Tureiti Moxon published in the NZ Herald on Tuesday last week.

The Treaty Principles Bill has done exactly what its champion David Seymour intended; it has sparked a national conversation. And that conversation has been eye-opening to say the least. Never could I have ever predicted that ‘equality’ would be treated as such a dirty word.

Capitalist: She Is Leading Sheep to Slaughter

I’ve always been a bit dubious about working-class people. You know whom I mean; those who are always getting drunk and having children; always deceitful and engaging in criminal activities; scamming the welfare system; selling their souls to junk. Even worse is the widespread, bizarre viewpoint that not only should such people never take responsibility for their actions but I should have to pay them money.

NZCPR Podcast: All Are Equal

The United States Supreme Court has ruled against a university giving preferential entry on the grounds of race. The Court said the American constitution is colour-blind and prohibits racial preference. 

John Robinson: The principle of the Treaty

The Waitangi Tribunal, and the 1975 Act which set it up, insists that we must be guided by – and follow – the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

As there are no principles stated in the Treaty, such principles must be derived from the text.  

This proves to be simple, and easy.  

The Treaty is clear that sovereignty goes to Great Britain, and that all New Zealanders are British subjects – all equal, not divided in any way into different classes of citizen.  Here is the principle of equality.

John Robinson: Choice 2023: for racism or for equality

Societies across the world have long recognised that we all belong to one human race, that we can best live together in harmony when there is a general belief in equality, all belonging in a united county, as one people, equals.  That principle has been steadily undermined in New Zealand since 1975, and is now gone: this is a divided nation moving from separation and partnership to co-governance, and towards two unequal race-based parliaments.  

There is a choice to be made between tribal rule and equality.  We must face the issue, make a decision for ourselves, of what sort of society we want for ourselves now and for the future.  It cannot be dodged; to continue as we are is to accept racial separation. 

Michael Bassett: Kelvin Davis exposes the flaws in Labour's Maori policy

When Kelvin Davis addressed a conference of indigenous Australians yesterday it is doubtful whether the Minister for Maori Crown Relations intended to damage the credibility of his government’s Maori policies, but that’s what he did. If the New Zealand Herald is to be believed, first, he used an incorrect translation of the Treaty of Waitangi instead of the Sir Hugh Kawharu translation that the previous Labour government celebrated at the 150th anniversary of its signing in 1990. Davis claimed that Article Three of the Treaty guaranteed Maori “the same rights and privileges of British subjects”. In fact, Article Three guarantees Maori “the same rights and duties of citizenship”. Small difference in wording, I agree, but the mention of “duties” is significant when it comes to Maori rights. These days all too many Maori spokespeople prefer to interpret the Treaty as promising Maori an armchair ride to prosperity rather than something they have to work for, like other New Zealanders.

Clive Bibby: No progress without equality for all and a new political realignment

2023 can deliver much needed change in the way we interact with our fellow New Zealanders  but to do so, it needs to be based on:

a) learning from the mistakes, particularly of the immediate past and

b) a genuine desire for unity focused on equality of opportunity for all.

Given the deep divisions that have been needlessly imposed on our shell shocked society, it will not be easy for most of us to believe that we must all do our bit to overcome this sense of distrust that pervades the nation.

What have we become? 

Rob Paterson: Regaining a nation; equality and democracy

This is yet another excellent effort by John Robinson, following on from his recent noteworthy books on culture and recent developments in New Zealand namely Dividing a Nation -The Return to Tikanga (2019) and He Puapua -Blueprint for Breaking up New Zealand (2021).

John Robinson is a prolific and respected writer/commentator on New Zealand History and associated issues and the standard of his work is as always of the highest calibre, well researched and properly referenced.

This book is for every Kiwi who is concerned about the welfare and future wellbeing of New Zealand as a functioning nation. It’s the country in which we live and of which we should all be very proud of our past achievements, heritage, fairness and equality.

Clive Bibby: The sanctity of life and the responsibilities that come with equality

Before all my detractors see the opportunity to savage this column as something based on an idealogical persuasion, l want to reassure everyone that it is written purely as a response to those who want to use the overturning of the Roe vs Wade decision by the US Supreme Court for political purposes. 

Like millions of Americans and freedom lovers throughout the world, for me this latest decision represents a welcome return to a situation where the highest court in the land does what it is set up to do - defend the constitution against those who would seek to interpret it for their own political benefit. 

Gary Judd QC: Lawyers must reject co-governance and coercion

New Zealand is faced with a determined push for a momentous political change called co-governance, but really a devolution of power to an unelected tribal elite who have been described in Cabinet papers as ‘iwi/Māori’. Giving powers of veto and more, co-governance will enable iwi/Māori to impose their will on the ordinary people of New Zealand. Chris Trotter’s Co-governance: New Zealand’s own Catch-22 in LawNews (Issue 10) argues that we should surrender to coercion and avoid violent revolution. I say co-governance is wrong and surrender to coercion is wrong, but we should thank Chris Trotter and LawNews for unveiling the agenda.

Free inquiry, reason and persuasion

Thomas Jefferson was educated as a lawyer and the law was the activity of his early years. He is best known as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and one of America’s founding fathers. Amongst Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia, written around 1782, are principles of a civilised society. He said: “Reason and free enquiry are the only effectual agents against error. … Reason and persuasion are the only practicable instruments. To make way for these, free enquiry must be indulged; and how can we wish others to indulge it while we refuse it ourselves.” If independent individuals use free inquiry and reason to persuade others, the right answer is more likely to be forthcoming. The consequences of suppressing free inquiry and demanding compliance are graphically demonstrated by historical experience such as when Galileo was subjected to inquisition and condemned to house arrest until his death in 1642 for the heresy of suggesting that the earth revolves around the sun. The dialogue induced by free inquiry, reason and persuasion helps to sort out the right from the wrong, the correct from the incorrect.

‘Un-ordinary’ prepared to sacrifice liberty and democracy

Trotter’s profoundly disturbing, indeed horrifying message is that the political and bureaucratic establishments’ submission to demands for co-governance is motivated by a desire to avoid “a full-blown revolution”.