pn903. The National, ACT and NZ First government and Māori

The new government will support a Treaty Principles Bill based on existing ACT policy through to select committee.

Race relations in Aotearoa loomed large during the election campaign, with the Treaty of Waitangi and co-governance hot topics.

That is reflected in the agreements that were signed today, with the parties deciding to pull back on a number of policies relating to Māori introduced by the Labour government.

Co-governance in the delivery of public services will go under the new government.

Developments in te ao Māori will include:

• • Remove co-governance from the delivery of public services.
• •As a matter of urgency, issue a Cabinet Office circular to all central government organisations that it is the government’s expectation that public services should be prioritised on the basis of need, not race.
• • Restore the right to local referendum on the establishment or ongoing use of Māori wards, including requiring a referendum on any wards established without referendum at the next Local Body elections.
• •Stop all work on He Puapua.
• •Confirm that the Coalition Government does not recognise the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as having any binding legal effect on New Zealand.
• •Amend section 58 of the Marine and Coastal Area Act to make clear Parliament’s original intent, in light of the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Whakatohea Kotahitanga Waka (Edwards) & Ors v Te Kahui and Whakatohea Maori Trust Board & Ors [2023] NZCA 504.
• •Amend the Waitangi Tribunal legislation to refocus the scope, purpose, and nature of its inquiries back to the original intent of that 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
• •Legislate to make English an official language of New Zealand.
• • Ensure all public service departments have their primary name in English, except for those specifically related to Māori.
• • Require the public service departments and Crown entities to communicate primarily in English - except those entities specifically related to Māori.
• • Protect freedom of speech by ruling out the introduction of hate speech legislation and stop the Law Commission’s work on hate speech legislation.
• •Abolish the Māori Health Authority
• •The Government will not change the official name of New Zealand.

Developments in the te ao Māori from the National- ACT deal will include:

• • Remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989.
• • Create a truly independent monitoring and oversight agency for Oranga Tamariki.
• • Improve the rights and responsibilities of caregivers to give them more autonomy.
• • Increase devolution of care decisions to relevant community organisations.
• • Remove co-governance from the delivery of public services.
• • Ensure government contracts are awarded based on value, without racial discrimination.
• • Issue a Cabinet Office circular to all central government organisations that it is the Government’s expectation that public services should be prioritised on the basis of need, not race, within the first six months of Government.
• • Repeal the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Act 2022.
• • Restore the right to local referendum on the establishment or ongoing use of Māori wards, including requiring a referendum on any wards established without referendum at the next local body elections.
• •Pass the Constitution (Enabling a 4-Year Term) Amendment Bill through first reading in the first 15 months of the term.
• • Introduce a Treaty Principles Bill based on existing ACT polcy and support it to a Select Committee as soon as practicable.
• •No Three Waters (with assets returned to council ownership).
• •Pro-democracy – upholding the principles of liberal democracy, including equal citizenship, parliamentary sovereignty, the rule of law and property rights, especially with respect to interpreting the Treaty of Waitangi
• Click here to read the original reports
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