2009 Treaty Debates - 29 January & 5 February, Soundings Theatre, Te Papa.

2009 sees the return of the much-anticipated series of debates exploring the Treaty of Waitangi – its place in New Zealand history and its meaning today. The Treaty Debate Series is free to the public and commences at 6.30pm each night.

This year’s theme is ‘Fast Forward’ and will be co-chaired by Dr Claudia Orange of Te Papa and Claudia Geiringer of Victoria University’s Centre for Public Law. The speakers focus on their own experiences to highlight key aspects of the theme, bringing a unique and engaging perspective to Treaty issues.

Robert McLeod (Ngäti Porou), Managing Partner of Ernst & Young New Zealand, and Roger Kerr, Executive Director of the Business Round Table, will consider the place of Māori in economic development on Thursday 29 January with Professor Philip Joseph and Derek Fox discussingthe role of Māori in Parliament and the future of the Māori Seats on Thursday 5 February. Speaker biographies follow the media release.

The Treaty Debates are to be recorded by Radio New Zealand National so latecomers will not be admitted. Radio New Zealand National will broadcast the debates on Sunday 1 and Sunday 8 February after the 4pm news. They will be rebroadcast at 9pm on 3 and 8 February respectively.The Treaty Debates are organised by Te Papa in partnership with the New Zealand Centre for Public Law at Victoria University of Wellington.

ENDS