Te Pāti Māori is absolutely disgusted by the Government’s announcement to review the Waitangi Tribunal- a deliberate and dangerous escalation in its ongoing campaign to undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi and silence tangata whenua.

“The Government’s onslaught against Te Tiriti continues with this latest move to review the Treaty of Waitangi Act and the role of the Waitangi Tribunal,” said Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Te Tiriti o Waitangi and MP for Te Tai Tonga, Tākuta Ferris.

“This is nothing short of a continuation of colonial violence- enabled by a weak, Luxon-led Government that gutlessly gambles with Te Tiriti and the lives of tangata whenua.”

The Waitangi Tribunal, established under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975, is one of the few instruments available to Māori to seek redress for breaches of Te Tiriti.

“The mere suggestion that the Act and the Tribunal should be reviewed signals this Government’s belief that the Crown alone should define the meaning, relevance, and limits of Te Tiriti,” said Ferris.

“Let’s not forget- Te Tiriti is the very agreement that gave the Crown its legitimacy to exist in the first place.

“Make no mistake, this review is a continuation of efforts to erase our voices and control the narrative of our dispossession, for the economic benefit of those who desecrate our people and our whenua.”

By comparison, last year Ferris introduced a Member’s Bill to strengthen the Tribunal’s powers to make binding recommendations — empowering it, not dismantling it.

“This Government already failed with its racist Treaty Principles Bill,” said Ferris. “Te Pāti Māori will continue to stand in the way of any attempt to dismantle our rights and our future as a Treaty nation.”

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