Open letter to Christopher Luxon: Stop the Treaty Principles Bill

ActionStation
ActionStation Aotearoa
5 min readJul 29, 2024
Banner image in grey and yellow with red letters stating in bold: “Honour Te Tiriti”, Signed by 150+ organisations

Dear Prime Minister Luxon,

It is the responsibility of the people in government to meet the basic standards of conventional democracy and governance. It is your collective role to act with integrity and make informed decisions that impact generations using the best knowledge, information and expertise available. The Government should always (and only) represent the needs of the people — not disregard them.

What is proposed in the ACT’s Anti-Treaty Bill promotes misinformation and is highly misleading to the people of this country. It is based on an ACT policy which displays the Parties’ complete disrespect for Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

A Bill as constitutionally destructive as this should not be dignified with a select committee hearing.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi clearly outlines commitments between Māori and the Crown. It makes it possible for tauiwi (non-Māori) to make a home here and have equal individual rights, while Māori retain their authority over their communities, lands and treasures. Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides the foundation for a partnership that many tauiwi, including Pākehā, are proud of. The Treaty Principles Bill seeks to destroy that foundation.

The Bill misrepresents the collective guarantee of Māori tino rangatiratanga into something it is not (and never could be) by erasing the inherent rights that Te Tiriti affirms and protects — as is demonstrated by the words of esteemed Professor Margaret Mutu and a renowned group of licensed translators.

We, the under-signed, ask the Prime Minister to stop the Treaty Principles Bill and ensure it is withdrawn prior to the select committee process.

At Waitangi this year, you, Prime Minister Luxon, said: “The Treaty is our past, present and future.” We hope those statements are more than just hollow rhetoric or empty words. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is an intrinsic foundation of our democracy and we need our elected leaders to respect it as such.

We call on you, Prime Minister: choose integrity and honour over distortion, disrespect, and division. Responding to this in good faith and withdrawing the bill before the select committee hearing, will demonstrate partnership in action and will be remembered for generations to come.

Signed,

350 Aotearoa

Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand (ALRANZ)

Ace Lady Network

ActionStation Aotearoa

Adhikaar Aotearoa

Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand

Anakbayan Aotearoa

Anglican Action

Annette Sykes & Co

Aotearoa Philippines Solidarity

Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance

Ara Taiohi

AS Good NZ Limited

Asian Aotearoan Project

Asian Legal Network

Asians Supporting Tino Rangatiratanga

Asylum Seekers Support Trust

Auckland Action Against Poverty

Auckland Peace Action

Auckland Women’s Centre

Bad Apple

Be Your Own Sunrise Ltd

Behaviour Solutions

Belfast Community Network

Belong Aotearoa

Big Picture Thinking

Birth Rite Midwives

Brainwave Trust Aotearoa

Brand and Butter Limited

Budget Advisory Service

Rangitaiki Inc.

Burnett Foundation Aotearoa

Child Poverty Action Group

Chinese Pride New Zealand

Cinema Italiano Festival

Climate Action & Resistance VUW

Climate Justice Taranaki

Climate Liberation Aotearoa

ClimateActionOtautahi (350 Christchurch)

Coal Action Muirhiku

Coal Action Network Aotearoa

Common Grace

Community Development Team, The Community of St Lukes, Remuera

Community Networks Aotearoa

Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki

Council of Trade Unions

Dayenu: New Zealand Jews Against Occupation

Degrowth Aotearoa NZ

Disabled Persons Assembly

Dizzy Aotearoa

DV Bryant Trust

E Tū Union

Eco Research Associates Ltd

EcoMatters Environment Trust

Equal Justice Project

exhibbit.com

Extinction Rebellion Whakatū

Extravaganza in the Park Markets NZ

Fair&Good

Florence Nightingale Agency

For Purpose

FRENZ Recruitment and Immigration

Fridays For Future

Gabriela Aotearoa

Gen-Z Aotearoa

Gender Minorities Aotearoa

Generation Zero

Greenpeace Aotearoa

Hine Mahuta Hauora

Hohou Te Rongo Kahukura

Hui E! Community Aotearoa

Hurunga-te-Rangi Marae Trust

Inclusive Aotearoa Collective

InsideOUT

James Henare Research Centre

Justice for Palestine

JustSpeak

Kaicycle Inc.

Kaihanga Ltd

Kainga Aroha Society Incorporated

Kanaky Aotearoa Solidarity

Kapa Haumanu Limited

Kapa Haumanu Ltd

Kāpehu marae

Karikari marae

Kelmarna Community Farm

Kia Kaha Chemist

Koha Ora Whānau Trust

Koha TreeKūwaha Ltd.

MANAVATION

Manawaka Ao

Massey (becoming) Tangata Tiriti Book Club

Massey Students for Justice in Palestine

Mau Whenua Incorporated Society

Mauri o te Moana

McNeill Consulting Ltd

Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand

Migrant Action Trust

Migrante Aotearoa New Zealand

Migrants Against the Acceptable Standard of Health Aotearoa

Moana Vā, navigators of pacific pride

Mokomedia

MSMF Holdings Ltd

Multicultural Nelson Tasman

National Council of Women

Nelson Seed Library

Nelson Tasman Climate Forum

Network Waitangi Ōtautahi

Network Waitangi Whangārei

New Zealand Association for Environmental Education

New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services

New Zealand Psychological Society / Rōpū Mātai Hinengaro o Aotearoa

New Zealand Speech-langauge Therapists’ Association

Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga

Ngā Toki Whakarururanga

Ngāi Tauira — Māori Students Association at Victoria University

Northland Urban Rural Mission (NURM)

NUKU

NZ Association of Counsellors

NZEI Te Riu Roa

OMEP Aotearoa NZ

Ora Taiao: NZ Climate and Health Council

Organise Aotearoa

Otago Unviersity Students’ Association

Otautahi Māori Womens Welfare League

Pacific Panthers

Paekākāriki Pride Inc

Papawhakaritorito Trust

Parents for Climate Aotearoa

Pathway to Survival

Pax Christi Aotearoa New Zealand

Peace Movement Aotearoa

People Against Prisons Aotearoa (PAPA)

PERSONA SPA AOTEAROA LTD

Pōneke Anti-Fascist Coalition

Pou Tikanga, National Iwi Chairs Forum

Poverty Free Aotearoa

Project Gender

PSNA

Public Housing Futures

Public Service Association

Pukekaraka Marae Committee

Pukenga Consultancy Ltd

Puna Ora

QIANE+co

Qtopia

RACEL

Rainbow Hub Waikato

Rainbow Youth

Reanga Taketake

Renters United

Rerenga Awa | Canterbury Youth Workers Collective

Russell School, Porirua East, Porirua

Ryan and Associates, Counselling & Psychotherapy Takapuna

SAASIA INC

Seed Psychology

Seed Waikato

Seeds for Feeds

Seniors Climate Action Network (SCAN)

Shoebox Christmas Aotearoa

Single Parent Services Waikato

Social Link

Socialist Aotearoa

Soil of Cultures

Speak Up-Korerotia

St Mary’s Parish, Ōtaki

St Matthew-in-the-City

STIR: Stop Institutional Racism

Student Christian Movement Aotearoa

Students for Justice in Palestine Pōneke

Susan Carlow Consulting

System Change Aotearoa

Taikura Consultants Ltd

TalkLink Trust

Tāmaki Loves Palestine

Tāmaki Treaty Workers

Tanenuiarangi Manawatū Roopu

Tangata Tiriti — Treaty People

Tangata Tiriti Aotearoa

Tangata Whenua, Community and Voluntary Sector Research Centre Inc

Tapatahi: Coalition for a People’s Aotearoa

Taraheke Press

Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary

Tauiwi Solutions

Tauiwi Tautoko

Te Ariroa Evolutions

Te Ataarangi ki Koraunui

Te Kōhanga Reo o Raukawa

Te Kuaka

Te Kupenga Hauora Māori (Waipapa Taumata Rau)

Te Kura ā Iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano

Te Mana Ākonga

Te Muka Rau Charitable Trust

Te Ngakau Kahukura

Te Pou o Tainui Inc.

Te Pū Harakeke — Community Collective Manawatū

Te Reo o Ngā Tāngata | The People Speak

Te Rūnanga-ā-Iwi o Ngāti Kahu

Te Tira Ahu Pae (Massey University Student’s Association)

Te Tiriti is Us

Te Waka Hourua Whītiki Mātike Whakatika

Te Wana Trust Quality Accreditation Programme

Te Wānanga o Raukawa

Te Wānanga o Te Rangi Aniwaniwa

Te Whānau Waipareira

Te Whare Hapori o Ngā Puna Waiora / Newtown Community Centre

Teota Ltd

The Alberton Crowd

The Basket Hauraki

The D*List

The Kerry Topp Collective

The Kindness Institute

The Pākehā Project

The Rubbish Trip

The Sustainable North Trust

The WaterBoy (Te Tamawai Trust)

The White House Incorporated Society

Thirdspace Aotearoa

Tīaho Limited

Treaty Education

UniQ Victoria

UniQ Waikato

Unite Union

Vector Group Charitable Trust

Verb Wellington

Very Good at Falling

Victoria University of Wellington Students Association

Waikato Arab Social Club

Waikato Environment Centre Trust

Waitaha Executive Grandmothers Council

Waitaha Speech Therapy

WEAll

Wellington Peace Action

Wellington Workers Educational Association

Working Students of Aotearoa

Working Studio

Zeal

Zero Waste Network Aotearoa

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