The second day of oral submissions on the Regulatory Standards Bill kicked off on Tuesday morning, with the majority continuing to oppose the bill.
Founding ACT Party member and former MP Donna Awatere Huata expressed deep concern about the bill’s intent but also saw it as an opportunity to open up broader constitutional discussion.
“This bill will take the economic dogma that caused us harm and elevate it to constitutional doctrine. It would make it almost impossible to rebuild. To fix the broken systems, to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, to re-weave tikanga into public life.”
“What this bill also represents is an opportunity, another backlash moment, a chance to start a conversation with one another to build a constitution that is fit for purpose.”
The Taxpayers’ Union, who submitted in support of the bill, challenged claims that it would harm Te Tiriti.
“It’s been hijacked by a campaign that piggybacks off an earlier campaign of a bill that reasonable minds can differ on treaty principles. But it seems that the particular political interests have a hammer and now all they see is nails.”
Māori lawyer Tania Waikato described the bill as dangerous, undemocratic, and unjustified.
“Te Tiriti is under attack yet again less than six months after the Treaty Principles Bill was banished from this house.”
The Minister for Regulations, David Seymour reiterated his stance yesterday, saying he had yet to hear a strong case for why Te Tiriti should be included.
“What we’re doing is taking things that the government already does in different ways, and we’re putting them together in one black letter law that governments must follow so New Zealanders have some rights. There’s nothing really new here.”
Ko tā Ngā Mokopuna – whakakorea
I tae ā-tinana atu te Tumuaki o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna, a Rawiri Wright. I tae ia ki te tuku atu i ngā tāpaetanga kōrero a tana kura.
I whakatakoto ia i ngā huarahi kua whāia e te Māori e poua ai te reo Māori ki te whenua, ā, i whakatakoto hoki i ngā māharahara. Ko tāna, ka pā kinotia ngā ture manaaki i te reo Māori e tēnei pire.
“Me mataara tātou te iwi Māori ki te koke whakamua tēnei pire hei ture, ka patua rawatia i a tātou te iwi Māori. Ko te āheinga hoki ka patua i ngā ture kua whakaritea, kua whakamanahia kētia i roto i ngā tau.”
Ka kati ngā tāpaetanga kōrero hei te Taite.
