In December, 12 people were arrested after members of the protest group Te Waka Houroa defaced the English version of the Treaty of Waitangi displayed at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The group argues that the English-language version of the document, signed between Mäori chiefs and a representative of the British crown in 1840, has no legal validity, a view supported by many historians and legal academics.
The protest came two weeks after a series of treaty-based policy announcements in the coalition agreement for the newly formed National-Act-New Zealand First government. Act will draft a bill calling for a binding public referendum reinterpreting the treaty and its principles, and New Zealand First has secured a review of all legislation - exempting treaty settlements - referring to the principles of the treaty.
This review will replace any references to these principles "with specific words relating to the relevance and application of the treaty, or repeal the references".
The government will also stop all work on "He Puapua", the Ministry of Māori Development's report on steps towards self-determination. It will legislate English as an official language and ensure that government departments are primarily identified by their English names.
Labour MP Willie Jackson warned media that Māori would "go to war" over the proposed policies, and Te Pati Māori organised a series of nationwide protests described by co-leader Rawiri Waititi as "an activation".
SAY WHAT YOU LIKE
Does New Zealand have the most ambiguous constitutional document in the world? In 1972, the historian Ruth Ross argued that due to the contradictory and chaotic nature of the treaty and its signing, the document had come to say "whatever we want it to say".
この記事は New Zealand Listener の February 10-16 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は New Zealand Listener の February 10-16 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.