Thursday marked the second day of oral submissions before Parliament’s Justice Select Committee, as debate continues over the ACT Party’s contentious Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill.
Legal expert and Te Hunga Rōia Māori Co-President Tai Ahu spoke to the committee, voicing opposition to the bill and highlighting concerns about its potential impact.
“Ko tētahi o ngā kaupapa e tāmi nei i a tātou, kei te keo i te pū i a tātou e whawhai ana mō te oranga o Te Tiriti o Waitangi i te ao ture.
“Kāore i te whakatīnana mai i ngā mātāpono o Te Tiriti o Waitangi, nō reirā, ko tērā te tino whakatakotoranga o te kōrero mā mātou i tēnei rā.”
Ahu emphasised the importance of amplifying Te Hunga Rōia’s voices in his presentation for a process that could significantly influence the future of Māori-Crown relations.
“Kia mārama ai rātou, kāore he take tō tēnei pire engari e mana tonu ana Te Tiriti o Waitangi ki roto i tō tātou hapori i te ao ture anō hoki.”
Te Hunga Rōia Māori, the National Māori Law Society was founded in 1988 after a group of lawyers came together in a Rotorua garage.
Since then, it has grown to more than 900 registered members, including law students, practising lawyers and non-practising legal professionals.
“He pire paitini tēnei” - Raniera Kaio
Ehara i te mea ko te hunga rōia Māori anake i tāpae kōrero atu ki te aroaro o te komiti whiriwhiri o Pāremata.
Ka rongo hoki rātou i ngā whakaaro a ētahi atu rangatira Māori e ārahi nei i ō rātou ake hapori, pēnei i te māngai ahurea o Te Rūnanga o Whāingaroa, i a Raniera Kaio.
Hei tā Kaio, "He pire paitini tēnei."
“Hāunga te kī a te Parai Minita me ētahi atu Ngāi Pāti e kī ana ‘kāhore tēnei pire e uru ana ki te tepe tuarua, kua oti kē ngā hiahia o ngā kaimāminga, o ngā kaituhituhi o te pire. Kua pupū te hunga kaikiri o roto o tēnei whenua kia tāmi anō ki tō te rangi.”
Ko tā Kaio anō, e hāngai ana ki te tirohanga a Ngāi Māori ki te kāwanatanga o te wā.
“E whakaaro ana ahau ki ngā rangatira e hainatia te Tiriti o Waitangi i te tau, e 1840. Kāhore raini rātou e wāhi whakaaro kia pēnei ngā hapū o tēnei whenua i tēnei wā tonu nei.”
