Submission on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill

As the independent advocate working for and with mokopuna, Mana Mokopuna – Children and Young People’s Commission opposes the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill in its entirety.

Mana Mokopuna recognises te Tiriti o Waitangi (te Tiriti) as a founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand and a critical part of our constitution. In doing so, we recognise mokopuna Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand as tangata whenua, with fundamental and unique rights that come from whakapapa, mātauranga Māori, and tikanga Māori – rights which are re-affirmed in te Tiriti.

The proposals in the Bill to define and prioritise principles over the specific provisions of te Tiriti (that is, the Articles) diminishes the Crown’s enduring obligation to uphold te Tiriti in full.

Prioritising Treaty principles over the provisions of Te Tiriti undermines the enduring commitments made by the Crown to mokopuna Māori, their whānau, hapu, and iwi and communities. These enduring commitments must not be undermined by this Bill, or in any way. Rather, they must be fully fulfilled and upheld.