Don't listen to the Prime Minister. He may say that he has made his mind up and the Treaty Principles Bill will be voted down after select committee, but it isn't over until it's over. 

It is crucially important that as many New Zealanders as possible share their thoughts on the Bill with the select committee via a submission. 

The odds of changing the Prime Minister's mind may be slim, but a show of strength from a large number of New Zealanders will send a very strong message, which then can be built on for the next election or possibly even for a Citizens Initiated Referendum.

As promised, we have created a Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill submission tool.We want to make it as easy as possible for you to get your thoughts on the record. Our tool allows you to build a submission by choosing the key points that you agree with and then adding your own if you wish.

We, of course, are supportive of the Bill going through, though we do express concern about the framing of Article/Principle 2. If you are similarly worried about the loophole that this principle could create, I encourage you to include that key point in your submission.

You may have heard that there is a six-month consultation period. That is true, but that includes oral submissions and the process of going through all of the written ones and producing a report.

Written submissions are only open until the 7th of January 2025.

That sounds kind of far away, but it is really only a matter of weeks. Add Christmas and New Year in and the time is going to fly by. We strongly recommend you get your submission done and dusted as soon as possible so it doesn't get forgotten in the chaos of the silly season. 

One thing you should be aware of is that the Justice Select Committee (which is in charge of considering the Bill) has told media that they will not accept any submissions that have swearing or accusations of racism in them. 

We need your submission to count so please take a deep breath and keep it direct and professional. Trust me, this is one of those situations where I can understand the urge to express yourself strongly, but it is more important that we build pressure on the committee to acknowledge the strength of feeling because of the sheer number of submissions.

This is one of the most important submissions we will ever make. It has the potential to reveal the will of the people and if the Government then ignores that will it opens the door for a Citizens Initiated Referendum, or for ACT - or indeed any other political party - to take the issue to the next election with a strong mandate. 

Add your voice so that the silent majority is silent no more. Then chat to friends and family and help them access our tool so that they can have their say too. 

This is a rare opportunity for us to get our demands for equality under the law on the record and to force MPs from all parties to pay attention to our arguments for de-racialising our systems and Government.

Don't miss out. Take the opportunity to tell Parliament that you are a New Zealander, not a visitor. 

We have to make an impact and can't do it without you.