An organiser of the last-minute protest against the Act party’s early introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill called the adjusted timing “absolutely deliberate”.
Bianca Ranson (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa) was part of the protest which ground Newmarket’s main road to a halt for a short time this morning in protest of the bill, which will be introduced in the House today.
“His constituents voted for him. His constituents voted for the Treaty Principles Bill, and so we’re bringing the message to Newmarket.”
She said coalition government policies like the disestablishment of the Māori Health Authority, the Takutai Moana Act reforms, and Treaty Principles Bill were “disrupting our lives, and hurting our people”, and felt Seymour’s constituents could put up with some disruption too.
“[Prime Minister Chris] Luxon has the ability to stop this. This doesn’t represent what the nation wants.”
Indeed, Luxon and his coalition counterpart Winston Peters have said their parties will shoot the bill down after it leaves the committee, with both National and NZ First only committed to support it that far.
She said the decision to move the bill’s introduction up “was absolute deliberate”, citing the media cycle domination of the US presidential election, as well as Hīkoi mō te Tiriti, which was due to arrive at Parliament around the original introduction date.
Ranson also criticised the bill as risking Aotearoa’s economic and social stability, calling it a waste of time and energy.
She said the government’s move had, if anything, “galvanised” the Toitū Te Tiriti movement.
“We‘re organising and mobilising, and we‘ll see them [in Wellington], regardless of when the bill has its first reading, or gets introduced.”
