Waitangi Tribunal

The Labour Party is furious its former minister and also former ACT leader Richard Prebble is one of two new members appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal.

The Waitangi Tribunal has found Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act Coalition Changes to be a gross breach of the Treaty.

Earlier this year Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith confirmed plans for making it harder for Māori to make customary claims on coastlines.

Te Tai Tonga’s Tākuta Ferris has submitted a Member’s Bill into the ballot to empower the Waitangi Tribunal.

In 2022 claimants alleged the Crown didn’t sufficiently involve Te Rūnanga Nui or Kaupapa Māori.

The most recent inquiry began with Tauranga iwi Ngāi Te Rangi, which put a claim to the tribunal in December of last year.

Today cross examinations began with the Crown's witness, the acting Public Service Commissioner, Heather Baggot of Ngāti Maniapoto and Te Āti Awa.

The purpose of this urgent inquiry is for iwi to lay out their grievances over the government's dumping Māori names for government departments.

Indigenous rights advocate Tina Ngata says the coalition government is not seeking unity and instead is passing bills of assimilation.

Since the National-led coalition took power, there have been six applications to the Waitangi Tribunal for an urgent inquiry into the new government's actions.