PM’s Waitangi Day attendance should become a nationwide tour
PM’s Waitangi Day attendance should become a nationwide tour
ACT Leader David Seymour says the Prime Minister’s decision to attend a Ngāti Whātua event in Auckland on Waitangi Day should mark the beginning of a Waitangi tour.
“The Treaty wasn’t just signed in Waitangi. It was taken on tour and signed by chiefs across the country,” says Mr Seymour.
“Bill English’s attendance of the Auckland event should mark the beginning of a tour across the country. The Prime Minister could celebrate Waitangi Day at a different marae each year, based on the different signing sites from 1840.
“Te Tii would eventually have the chance to host the Prime Minister in a decade or so. In the meantime, there’s no reason to reward their disrespect with a monopoly on the Prime Minister’s attention. Iwi across the country deserve the same level of access.
“Without a monopoly on hosting the Prime Minister, a bit of competition among locations could lift standards of behaviour, bringing some dignity and joy back to this historic day.”
Mr Seymour will be attending the Prime Minister’s breakfast at Ōrākei Marae.
ENDS