A proposed bill in New Zealand has sparked political turmoil, aiming to redefine the Treaty of Waitangi, the nation's founding document between the British Crown and Māori chiefs. Over 35,000 people gathered outside Parliament to protest the bill, expressing strong dissatisfaction.
Read Also...:
Iran's top leader rejects talks with the US over missile range, regional influence
03-09, 2025
Gene Hackman's wife was protective of his health for years. She died of hantavirus and days later, he was gone
03-09, 2025
Dozens of Australian Defence Force personnel injured after crash near Lismore
03-09, 2025
Queensland airports reopen but more than 50 flights cancelled amid wild weather
03-09, 2025While the bill is not expected to become law, it has become a focal point on race relations and a pivotal moment in the complex, 180-year-long conversation about how New Zealand honors its commitments to its indigenous people. This commitment stems from the nation's colonial period, and its specifics and fulfillment have been a source of considerable debate.
Tens of thousands converged in Wellington, the capital, for the final stage of a week-long protest that spanned the country, including a march through city streets to Parliament. The march followed the Māori tradition of hīkoi (walking) and aimed to draw attention to the perceived breaches of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, potentially becoming one of the largest demonstrations for treaty rights in New Zealand's modern history.
The Treaty of Waitangi is considered New Zealand's founding document, signed during the colonial era by representatives of the British Crown and 500 Māori chiefs. The treaty, in both English and Māori versions, laid out principles to guide the relationship between the Crown and Māori. It promised Māori people the rights and privileges of British subjects, but the English and Māori versions differed on how much the chiefs ceded control over their affairs, land, and autonomy. In the decades that followed, the Crown violated both versions.
Driven by Māori protest movements, for the past 50 years, New Zealand courts, lawmakers, and the Waitangi Tribunal (a permanent body established to adjudicate treaty matters) have worked to bridge the differences between the treaty versions and redress breaches by constructing the meaning of treaty principles in rulings. These principles are intended to be flexible but are often described as partnership with the Crown, protection of Māori interests, and participation in decision-making. Although Māori remain disenfranchised in many ways, the legal recognition of the treaty and attempts at redress have since changed the fabric of society. The Māori language has experienced a revival, becoming commonplace in everyday usage, even among non-Māori. Policies aimed at addressing widespread inequalities faced by Māori have been enacted.
However, some New Zealanders are not satisfied with the redress efforts. David Seymour, a member of Parliament and leader of a small libertarian party, won less than 9% of the vote in last year's election, but his agenda has gained outsized influence as part of a governing agreement. Seymour's proposed law would set specific definitions for treaty principles and apply them to all New Zealanders, not just Māori. He argues that the piecemeal construction of the treaty's meaning has left a vacuum and given Māori special treatment. Seymour's bill has been widely opposed, including by former prime ministers from both the left and right, the country's 40 most senior lawyers, and thousands of Māori and non-Māori New Zealanders who are marching in protest across the country.
Peaceful walking protests are a Māori tradition and have occurred at critical moments in the national conversation about treaty rights. Police stated that over 35,000 people flooded the grounds of Parliament after a march through the city center closed streets and drew thousands of onlookers. As people outside Parliament waved flags, sang Māori songs, and listened to speeches, crowds that could not squeeze into the grounds spilled onto surrounding streets, which remained closed to traffic. Many marched to oppose Seymour's bill. But others protested a range of policies from the right-leaning government regarding Māori affairs, including, at Seymour's urging, an order that public agencies should no longer target policies specifically at redressing Māori inequalities.
