I was unimpressed with the front page of the NZ Herald today.

The lead story was basically free advertising for a small group of church leaders opposing the Treaty Principles Bill. Just imagine if we tried to pay for an advertisement to support it! We are still in the naughty corner for our factual Marine and Coastal Area Act ad!

In their open letter, the church leaders misrepresent the proposed Treaty Principles Bill in a brazen attempt to influence their followers with nonsense regarding a matter of democratic importance to all New Zealanders.

They kick things off with a creative re-interpretation of Psalm 15 which actually highlights the very dynamics about the Treaty of Waitangi that we are concerned about – reinterpreting historical texts to suit certain agendas.

Church leaders should hold and speak their views, but their open letter isn't about discourse. It is about shutting down debate, discussion, and dialogue. 

I am worried that they are joining with the elitists to advocate against democratic parliamentary processes. They use the same manipulative language of those who seek to cancel and deplatform. They talk of social cohesion and potential harm from people talking about ideas.

This group appear to have little faith in New Zealanders' ability to think, discuss, and debate issues of importance to them. 

For Christians like myself, there is further reason for alarm because the leaders appear to be elevating the Treaty of Waitangi with sacred covenants between God and humanity in the Old Testament. 

To refer to the relationship between any church and any treaty as being a "sacred covenant" borders on the heretical.

Hobson’s Pledge rejects the many inaccuracies within the church leaders’ statement. We think it is poor of them to make such a public declaration about a Bill they haven't read yet. It is only going to Cabinet today!

The focus on "collective rights" rather than individual rights indicates that these church leaders misunderstand the treaty. A quick look through their organisational websites shows a lot of hard left politics, and that context is totally missing from the front page article.

With all due respect to these church leaders, keep to historical and literal truth.

He iwi tahi tātou / We are now one people.

The taxpayer-funded Waitangi Tribunal was set up in 1975, primarily to deal with historical wrong doings regarding the loss of confiscated land.

The Tribunal's only power was always to make recommendations to Government on such issues. 

Lately, however, it’s begun to delve into a whole heap of other matters. In fact, its members seem determined to try their luck at expanding their role at any opportunity.

The Waitangi Tribunal thinks, for example, it has the power to compel the Children’s Minister to appear before them and explain her audacity in keeping election promises to put the interests and safety of the child ahead of cultural considerations.

Perhaps most concerning is that the Tribunal thinks it has the power to re-write our constitution, forgetting that power is reserved for the voter, and no-one but the voter.

Since the new Coalition Government was elected with a strong mandate to remove race-based policies and law, the Tribunal has been hearing claims denouncing many of the Government’s election promises as violations of the Treaty.

And now, it has just produced a taxpayer-funded, 200-page report screaming for the Treaty Principles Bill to be axed on the basis that the Bill is trying to re-write the Treaty.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

In any case, the Bill will not alter the Treaty. It will merely define the so-called “principles” which were created but, foolishly, never spelt out in legislation.

It will put to bed the constant reinterpretations of what the Treaty promised. It will confirm that all New Zealanders have the same political rights. And it will give us the chance to have a mature national conversation about it all.

It is not leadership to say we cannot have a debate because the conversation is too difficult or divisive. It is divisive to allow the issue to continue to fester.

This latest attempt to thwart the democratic process begs the question once again, why is the New Zealand taxpayer still funding them?

Rather than axing the Treaty Principles Bill, let’s axe the Waitangi Tribunal instead.

Please sign the petition, if you agree.

This week, Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins has stirred controversy by asserting that “Māori did not cede sovereignty” when signing the Treaty of Waitangi. According to the New Zealand Herald, Hipkins was “unequivocal” in this claim.

Hipkins stated:

“It’s pretty clear that if you follow the various court rulings over time, the academic research, and the Treaty settlement process, the answer is no.” He further clarified, “That doesn’t mean the Crown doesn’t have sovereignty now, but Māori didn’t cede sovereignty in signing the Treaty.”

Such statements from a major political leader are deeply concerning and irresponsible. How can Hipkins claim Māori didn't cede sovereignty while also acknowledging the Crown's current sovereignty? This contradictory stance raises serious questions about his understanding of New Zealand’s history and constitutional framework.

FACT CHECK 👇

Article One of the Treaty states:

“The Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the separate and independent Chiefs who have not become members of the Confederation cede to Her Majesty the Queen of England absolutely and without reservation all the rights and powers of Sovereignty…”

The intent of the Treaty was to unify New Zealand under a single sovereign authority.

Historical records, including speeches by Māori chiefs in 1840 and at the Kohimarama conference in 1860, confirm that they understood that they were surrendering authority to the Crown.

Sir Apirana Ngata, perhaps the greatest Maori leader of all time, emphasised this a century ago:

“Clause 1 of the Treaty handed over the mana and the sovereignty of New Zealand to Queen Victoria and her descendants forever.”

New Zealand has operated as a unified nation under the Crown's sovereignty for more than 180 years.

Hipkins’ claim that Māori did not cede sovereignty threatens our national unity and could undermine our legal and political system, creating divisions based on heritage where there should be none.

Former Labour Prime Minister David Lange observed:

“Democratic government can accommodate Māori political aspirations in many ways... What it cannot do is acknowledge the existence of a separate sovereignty. As soon as it does that, it isn’t a democracy.”

Willie Jackson has dismissed the notion that Maori chiefs ceded sovereignty in 1840 as “laughable,” further fuelling division and confusion. In contrast, National Party leader Christopher Luxon, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and David Seymour - the leaders of all the parties in the Coalition Government - have reaffirmed the Crown’s sovereignty.

Disagreements about New Zealand’s founding document should concern us all.

It’s time to stand firm on the principles that unite us as New Zealanders—one law for all, under one sovereign authority.

Months ago, Hobson’s Pledge appeared before the Environment Select Committee regarding the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill. We did not take a position on whether the Bill threatened the environment, as our supporters have varying views on this.

However, we strongly objected to the Bill's initial proposal, which suggested that every small group of experts assessing projects for fast-track treatment should include both a local authority representative and an iwi representative.

This implied iwi should have as much say in deciding which projects could get the accelerated treatment as the local authority in whose territory the project was to take place.

We thought that that was outrageous.

Yesterday’s Government announcement initially appeared to be an improvement. It stated that expert panels would “include an iwi authority representative onlywhen required by Treaty settlements.”

While this may seem like progress, many Treaty settlements contain clauses granting iwi significant powers over large areas of land and water.

Additionally, the announcement revealed that expert panels “will include Māori development and te ao Māori expertise in place of mātauranga Māori.” This means the law will still grant iwi disproportionate power in deciding which projects receive fast-track approval.

We all know, from bitter experience, that this leaves the rest of us open to extortion.

We like to think of New Zealand as free of corruption. If you believe that, have a chat with any developer—whether involved in housing, infrastructure, or power stations—and get their reaction.

If the law goes ahead in its current form, the risk of rorts will continue.