Given the overt support the media has demonstrated toward Te Pāti Māori’s Toitū Te Tiriti campaign, New Zealanders could be forgiven for thinking that there is clear consensus that the Treaty Principles Bill must not pass.
Those who support it might reasonably think they are in a minority.
We commissioned some polling and it shows that both assumptions are false.
Our polling was conducted between the 1st and 3rd of December by Curia Market Research and asked a range of questions about the Treaty of Waitangi, the so-called principles, and related issues.
It is safe to say that there is still a lot of confusion and uncertainty around the principles and I can understand why! The discussion is being stifled and stymied at every turn. Only one radical perspective is being promoted by media.
The question of which body, or bodies, should determine the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi is one on which New Zealanders have a range of views. But ultimately, when asked who should have the final say, 54% of respondents said either Parliament or a Referendum should make the final decision with just 8% opting for the Judiciary and 19% for the Waitangi Tribunal.
However, our polling showed that a majority of New Zealanders are supportive of honouring the Treaty, but only if it can do so in a way that doesn’t undermine fundamental human rights. In fact, voters from all parties except Te Pāti Māori had strong net agreement to this statement:
Similarly, only 13% of respondents agreed that the Treaty means that 50% of MPs must be Māori and only Te Pāti Māori voters were in net agreement with the statement.
A truly open conversation is needed on the clash between fundamental human rights (such as equal voting rights and political representation) and the way the Treaty and its so-called principles are being interpreted currently, particularly by the courts.
The disproportionate cheerleading Te Pāti Māori receives from the media is not a fair representation of the beliefs of the New Zealand public. The promotion of their activism as righteous and justified is distorting the true picture of an electorate that prioritises unity and human rights.
This polling demonstrates that Te Pāti Māori’s views on the principles of the Treaty and how the country should be politically organised are out of step with the great majority of voters, even including voters who support Labour and the Greens. Te Pāti Māori are radicals and in a minority.
Christopher Luxon has seriously misjudged the mood of voters in his careless dismissal of the opinions of New Zealanders submitting on the Treaty Principles Bill, particularly those who voted for his Government. He has allowed himself to be railroaded by the press gallery and intimidated by the noise made by a group of activists organised by Te Pāti Māori.
New Zealanders are entitled to be informed of the bigger picture rather than lectured to directly from the Wellington beltway and activist academics.
New Zealanders are entitled to expect that any law, policy, or action taken by our Government should not breach fundamental human rights.
These are not big asks. It is not remotely racist to expect equal rights for us all.