What about the Treaty? No resolution at Waitangi, but mediators emerge

Monday, 5 February 2024

ANALYSIS: The Government faced down a staunch challenge from leaders across te ao Māori at Waitangi, upset over promises of Treaty reform. Through it all, ministers refused to budge, but two mediators have emerged.

The Treaty Grounds were overflowing with anticipation ahead of the big Government pōwhiri on Monday.

More than an hour before Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and co were due to arrive, every seat had already been taken under the tangata whenua marquee. Everyone wanted to know what the Government really thought about Te Tiriti.

Could the clear display of kotahitanga - unity - seen over the past weeks have changed the Government’s mind?

Luxon’s speech provided little to no insight into his thinking about Te Tiriti. It mimicked previous campaign and political speeches, as he answered a thematic question the Waitangi National Trust has been asking: What do we want Aotearoa New Zealand to look like in 2040, 200 years after the signing of Te Tiriti?

As Luxon said after the speech, he was asked a question and answered it. He talked of economics, education, and the environment.

But in the kōrero from the taumata over recent days, and in many discussions, Luxon was asked a second question, which was unanswered. Will he proceed with the range of Treaty reforms proposed in his coalition agreements?

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters was typically unapologetic. He shouted at hecklers, telling them to “get an education” while they told him “e noho” (sit down).

ACT’s David Seymour also left no wriggle room, taking on hecklers and refusing to resume his seat as some tried to cut his speech short through waiata. “Whakarongo e noho”, they sang. (Meaning: Listen up, sit down.)

While those two leaders took a highly confrontational approach, giving as good as they got, the speeches - in te reo Māori - from NZ First’s Shane Jones and National’s Tama Potaka set a very different tone.

Jones said it was a classic Waitangi, another great day in Tai Tokerau.

His kōrero was followed by haka tautoko, thanks to rangatahi of the North who entered the marae atea to show their support. And he had whānau on the other side of the Māori Wardens, making their opposition known.

Jones told Stuff he was proud of both those groups of rangatahi - the hecklers and the supporters

Of the hecklers, “You may of noticed they did not say [e noho] to matua Shane Jones”.

He said it was tradition. A tradition he used to take part in.

“The modern day rangatahi are just carrying on with that tradition. I'm not deprecating it. I see it as a key feature.”

Jones’ more conciliatory commentary followed a speech where he said Ngāpuhi were the rightful guardians of Te Tiriti and that rangatahi - young people - were playing an important role in these discussions.

Apart from the Government’s six Ngāpuhi ministers, most of the Ngāphuhi at the Treaty Grounds weren’t happy with the Crown.

“You’re always going to get a whole lot of diversity in Ngāpuhi and generally they come together when there's a common foe. I hope today I didn't represent a common foe,” he said.

He then committed to playing a role as mediator between Ngāpuhi and the Government as it looks to progress a range of Treaty reforms, including the Principles Bill but also around the Tribunal.

“I'm going to take a big role in helping to navigate the Treaty Principles,” Jones said.

Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka also tackled criticism head on, minus the confrontation.

After Labour’s Peeni Henare and Kelvin Davis described the Government as spiders and lions who feast on Māoritanga, Potaka started his whaikōrero asking if his was the face of a beast.

In te reo, he said there were knives in his back at every hui he’d attended since entering politics. He said it was clear te iwi Māori wanted a debate, telling the array of iwi leaders he had heard their messages.

Potaka was facing not just Ngāpuhi, but senior leaders from across the country who had - in a rare move - been given the right to speak beside tangata whenua in front of Te Whare Rūnanga.

The different tone and message from Potaka and Jones did not go unnoticed at Waitangi.

Pita Tipene, the chairman of the Waitangi National Trust, noted the combative approach from the likes of Peters. He said there were important questions of Te Tiriti that deserve answers.

“In general, our people really do want to have discourse on the Treaty of Waitangi,” he said.

On Tuesday, everyone welcomed to Waitangi - all sides of Parliament, activists, officials and visitors - will be coming together for commemorations starting at 5am.