You can submit on the Treaty Principles Bill … but you cannot swear

Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Act leader David Seymour is the chief supporter of the bill.

The Treaty Principles Bill is now open for public submissions.

The Justice Committee says no submissions with offensive language will be accepted.

Submissions will be open until January 7, 2025.

The Justice Committee has opened the Treaty Principles Bill for public submissions as the hīkoi opposing the bill heads to Parliament.

The bill was introduced to Parliament last week and intends to set out the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi in legislation.

The bill passed its first reading last Thursday, resulting in a haka being performed in the House by members of Te Pāti Māori, the Greens, and Labour.

Tens of thousands marched to Parliament in opposition to the bill.

In its call for submissions, the Justice Committee acknowledged that the bill was “controversial” and that the committee intended to facilitate a measured debate around it.

Further decisions about the submissions process concerning criteria for submissions that contain offensive language would be announced in due course.

The committee did say, however, that submissions with offensive language would not be accepted.

In a statement, Deputy Clerk of the House Suze Jones told Stuff it is not uncommon for select committees to include specific guidance to prospective submitters in their calls for submissions.

A nine-day hīkoi made its way from the top of the North Island and the bottom of the South Island to Wellington.

“Under Standing Orders (Parliament’s rule book), committees can return submissions for a number of reasons, including that they are offensive,” Jones said.

She added that what counts as “offensive” is determined separately by each committee.

Submissions to the bill will be able to be made online and in person, and written submissions can be made in English and te reo Māori.

Hīkoi mō te Tiriti on Parliament grounds

To come into force, the bill would require the support of a majority of electors voting in a referendum.

The bill has the support of the ACT Party, however, its coalition partners, National and NZ First, say they will vote down the bill at the second reading.

The closing date for submissions on the bill will be January 7, 2025.

The Justice Committee said it intended to complete hearings by the end of February 2025.

On Tuesday, tens of thousands of people marched to Parliament in opposition to the bill.

Hīkoi mō te Tīriti concluded a nine-day hīkoi, which began in Cape Rēinga in the north and Bluff in the south, on a journey to Te Ūpoko-o-te-ika-ā-Māui - the head of the fish - Wellington.

In connection with the hīkoi, a petition organised by Action Station against the bill collected more than 216,000 signatures.

The bill’s main supporter, ACT leader David Seymour, is encouraging people to submit in support of the bill.

“For the first time, Kiwis of all backgrounds are now able to tell Parliament what they think the Treaty means for future generations of New Zealanders,” he said.