Te Tiriti o Waitangi

te tiriti o waitangi

Budget 2026 fails Māori

The Green Party says Budget 2026 makes clear who this Government cares about, and it’s not Māori. “Budget 2026 neglects its Tiriti obligations to make way for the super-rich and powerful,” says Green Party Co-leader, Marama Davidson.    “Despite the desperate need in our Māori communities, Willis has seen fit to again turn away while delivering billions of dollars for landlords, fossil fuel dependency, and on new military equipment.”   “Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a promise of protection for whānau and for taiao: a promise Nicola Willis has broken for a third year in a row with this Budget.   “Te iwi...

Posted at May 28, 2026 2:46 PM by Marama Davidson

te tiriti o waitangi

Government announces Treaty Principles Bill by stealth

The Green Party is condemning the Government's decision to weaken te Tiriti o Waitangi references across 19 acts of Parliament, calling it the Stealth Treaty Principles Bill."New Zealanders didn't want the Treaty Principles Bill, and they sure don't want it by stealth," says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson. "Stripping te Tiriti out of seven acts entirely and dragging the Crown's obligations in another ten down to the weakest possible standard, is a deliberate diminishment of the founding document of this...

Posted at May 15, 2026 1:50 PM by Marama Davidson

te tiriti o waitangi

Greens call on Luxon to abandon racist education reforms

The Green Party is urging Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon amendments to the Education and Training Act following the Waitangi Tribunal’s scathing report on the proposed changes.“The Waitangi Tribunal has been clear: Luxon’s Government has breached its Tiriti obligations. It can no longer mask the racism in its education reforms,” says Green Party Co-leader, Marama Davidson.  “Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a promise to take the best possible care of each other. Its place in the education of our tamariki, our taonga, our...

Posted at May 15, 2026 12:04 PM by Marama Davidson

te tiriti o waitangi

Greens unveil diverse list with large Māori representation

The Green Party has announced 13 Māori candidates in its final list for the 2026 General Election with 9 in the top 20 and Marama Davidson number 1.Co-leader Marama Davidson says, “Our skilled and diverse candidate list includes Māori with strong leadership experience, working together to deliver real outcomes for whānau, hapū and iwi. “The 13 Māori candidates reflect a long standing commitment to te Tiriti o Waitangi, equity and partnership. We must reflect an Aotearoa that works for everyone....

Posted at April 22, 2026 12:00 PM by Marama Davidson

te tiriti o waitangi

Government rams through sweeping changes to Te Tiriti in legislation

The Green Party is condemning the Government’s weakening of Te Tiriti o Waitangi provisions across multiple pieces of legislation. "Pushing through these sweeping changes in secret shows this Government is a dishonourable Treaty partner," says Green Party MP Tamatha Paul.  Documents seen by Paul outline Cabinet's decision to amend Treaty provisions across 23 pieces of legislation.   Under the changes, the standard of Treaty obligation would be reduced to no higher than "take into account".   Treaty references in other laws would be repealed entirely. The decisions were made in...

Posted at April 19, 2026 6:35 PM by Tamatha Paul

te tiriti o waitangi

Luxon Government can no longer mask racism in education reforms

The Green Party welcomes the urgent inquiry by the Waitangi Tribunal on the Education and Training Amendment Act and Te Mātaiaho (WAI 3553)."The hearings were clear: the Crown breached its Tiriti obligations. The Government can no longer mask the racism in its education reforms," says Green Party spokesperson for education Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan,. The Tribunal heard from iwi including Ngāti Hine and Te Kapotai, and education leaders from across the sector. They expressed their concerns about the removal of Te...

Posted at April 17, 2026 5:13 PM by Lawrence Xu-Nan and Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Luxon’s Government actively neglects Māori news broadcasting

The Green Party has condemned the funding cut which has lead to the loss of the National Māori Radio news service. The news service will air for the last time tonight. “After years of harsh cuts to Māori broadcasting under Luxon’s Government, the Green Party is calling on Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka to stand up for Māori news broadcasting,” says Green Party Co-leader, Marama Davidson.  “Over the past four decades, iwi radio has played a fundamental role in broadcasting critical news, diverse voices, and community stories to whānau across the motu.  “The National Māori Radio service has always...

Posted at March 31, 2026 1:10 PM by Marama Davidson

te tiriti o waitangi

Green Party announces 14 Māori candidates in the initial candidate list for the 2026 General Election

The Green Party announces 14 Māori candidates in the Delegate List for the 2026 General Election, which will now inform the membership voting process.Co-Leader Marama Davidson says, “our diverse Māori candidates are supported by whānau, hapū and iwi, further strengthening Māori voice in the Green Party and across the motu. I am proud that our list reflects the importance of our staunch Māori candidates to our Party.” The Māori candidates on the list with their ranking number are: 1. Marama...

Posted at March 12, 2026 4:00 PM by Marama Davidson

te tiriti o waitangi

Greens announce bill to entrench Māori seats in law

Today, the Green Party is announcing a member's bill, in the name of Hūhana Lyndon, to entrench Māori seats in law. “Entrenching Māori seats in law is only a start, but a necessary one,” says the Green Party’s Māori Development spokesperson, Hūhana Lyndon.  “A thriving democracy, one which we can all be proud of, requires that all people participate in ways that make sense to them. Entrenching Māori seats protects that right for generations to come.  “This Bill aims to correct a constitutional imbalance of the treatment of Māori seats. General Electorate seats are currently entrenched....

Posted at January 23, 2026 3:02 PM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Sad day for democracy as RSB passes second reading

Despite a resounding majority of submitters opposing the Regulatory Standards Bill, Luxon’s Government has pushed it through second reading.“New Zealanders made it clear they don’t want this zombie Frankenstein of the Treaty Principles Bill. Today Christopher Luxon has chosen to ignore them,” says Green Party Co-leader, Chlöe Swarbrick. “Our country has real problems we could be fixing, but instead the Government is stroking the ACT Party’s ego by reviving and pushing through their vanity project which has failed three times...

Posted at November 04, 2025 4:37 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick

te tiriti o waitangi

Māori media needs more investment, not funding cuts

The Green Party is gravely concerned about a major cut to funding for flagship Māori news and current affairs programmes Te Karere and The Hui by Te Māngai Pāhō.“This is a terrible outcome for Māori media, and sadly consistent with this Government’s continual undermining of our culture,” says the Green Party Spokesperson for Māori Development, Media and Communications, Hūhana Lyndon. “The complete gutting of funding for The Hui is particularly galling, as it has been such an effective vehicle for...

Posted at October 24, 2025 2:56 PM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Marine coastal law robs Māori of customary rights

The Green Party says the passing of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) (Customary Marine Title) Amendment Bill robs Māori of customary rights to the Takutai Moana.“This Government is selling out Māori with a Bill that prioritises profit over taonga and is another form of raupatu,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori-Crown relations Steve Abel.  “The Government has a duty to ensure customary rights are upheld. Instead they are diminishing Māori rights, sidelining the voices of iwi and...

Posted at October 21, 2025 9:00 PM by Steve Abel

te tiriti o waitangi

Government one step closer to legislating another raupatu

The Green Party condemns the Coalition Government passing its Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) (Customary Marine Title) Amendment Bill through its second reading, which prioritises profits over taonga.“This Bill is this Government’s most anti-Tiriti piece of legislation yet, and that’s saying something,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori-Crown relations, Steve Abel. “Customary rights are tino rangatiratanga in action. This Bill robs Māori of customary rights to the takutai moana, effectively denying centuries of relationship with the marine coastal...

Posted at October 09, 2025 5:05 PM by Steve Abel

te tiriti o waitangi

He maimai aroha ki a Ariki Tā Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII

The Green Party acknowledges the life, contribution and passing of Tā Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII, the ariki of Ngāti Tūwharetoa. "We are mourning Tā Tumu Te Heuheu, an unrelenting ariki who loved his whakapapa: tāngata and taiao alike," says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. “Tā Tumu was respected across Aotearoa for his kaitiakitanga, particularly as kaitiaki of Tongariro, the maunga tapu first gifted to the Crown by his ancestor Horonuku Te Heuheu Tūkino IV. “Tā Tumu’s last great battle was...

Posted at September 23, 2025 11:22 AM by Marama Davidson

te tiriti o waitangi

More than 5,300 call for restoration of Māori place names

Wellingtonians are making it clear they want Māori place names to be restored to Wellington electorates, with more than 5,300 signatures on a petition sent to the Representation Committee today by Green Party Wellington MPs Julie Anne Genter and Tamatha Paul.“The public mandate is crystal clear: the people of Wellington want the names restored,” says Green Party MP for Rongotai Julie Anne Genter. “The Rongotai electorate was changed to an English name with minimal community consultation and zero engagement with...

Posted at September 18, 2025 11:59 AM by Tamatha Paul and Julie Anne Genter

te tiriti o waitangi

Greens call for extension on Māori wards referendum

The Green Party is calling for the voting period for Māori wards to be extended after key information was left out of voting packs. “Key information about Māori wards missing from election packs could influence the course of the referendum. This is not good enough,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Democracy and Electoral Reform, Celia Wade Brown.  “We are calling for the voting period to be extended so people can make their decision with all the information they should have...

Posted at September 12, 2025 2:14 PM by Celia Wade Brown

te tiriti o waitangi

Whakanuia te Arikinui, whakanuia te Kiingitanga

The Green Party celebrates te Koroneihana Tuatahi o Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, reaffirming our shared commitment to kotahitanga, our environment, and Māoritanga.“Whakanuia te Arikinui Kuini Ngawai hono i te po!,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. “Kuini Nga wai hono i te po has spoken eloquently and reassuringly a year on from losing our beloved Kiingi Tuuheitia, her beloved father. We acknowledge the enormous contribution Kiingi Tuuheitia made to Aotearoa, particularly his efforts to unify...

Posted at September 05, 2025 3:20 PM by Marama Davidson

te tiriti o waitangi

Greens launch petition to restore Te Reo electorate names in capital

Green Party Wellington MPs Julie Anne Genter and Tamatha Paul have launched a petition calling for Māori place names to be restored to Wellington electorates. This comes after the Rongotai electorate was changed to an English name with minimal community consultation and zero engagement with mana whenua. “Rongotai means ‘sound of the sea,’ it has been the Te Reo name of our electorate for almost three decades and has been taken away with next to no consultation,” says Green Party MP...

Posted at August 11, 2025 5:00 AM by Tamatha Paul and Julie Anne Genter

te tiriti o waitangi

Green Budget delivers for Māori

The Green Party is delivering for Māori with its Green Budget.“Our Green Budget is a statement: we stand for Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we stand on the right side of history and we stand against this Government," says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori Development, Hūhana Lyndon. “Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a promise of protection, for people and planet. This forms the foundations of our Green Budget and our vision for Aotearoa. “We have seen this Government undo decades...

Posted at May 14, 2025 11:00 AM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Tribunal review an attack on Te Tiriti o Waitangi

The Government’s plans to limit the powers and scope of the Waitangi Tribunal is a disgrace. “This attack on the tribunal is nothing more than an attempt to limit the accountability the Government has to Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori Development, Hūhana Lyndon.  “The Waitangi Tribunal plays a pivotal role in holding Aotearoa true to its founding agreement. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is something that binds us together in building a future for all of...

Posted at May 09, 2025 3:44 PM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Missed opportunity to stop the stealing of Māori land

The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down Hūhana Lyndon’s member’s Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of Māori land through the Public Works Act.“Today represents a missed opportunity to end a legacy of injustice that has seen Māori land stolen across generations,” says Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon. “My Bill aimed to address a critical flaw in the Public Works Act, whereby Māori land can be acquired by a Minister or local authority for public works, without...

Posted at March 12, 2025 9:58 PM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Greens welcome pause of works at Lake Rotokākahi and call for council to work constructively with mana whenua

After months of mana whenua protecting their wāhi tapu, the Green Party welcomes the pause of works at Lake Rotokākahi and calls for the Rotorua Lakes Council to work constructively with Tūhourangi and Ngāti Tumatawera on the pathway forward.“We are inspired by the aroha mana whenua have for their tūpuna and their wāhi tapu, protecting land that was never someone else’s to develop to begin with,” says the Green party spokesperson for Māori Development Hūhana Lyndon. “For too long Māori...

Posted at February 28, 2025 11:00 AM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Greens stand in solidarity with mana whenua of Lake Rotokākahi

The Green Party supports the peaceful occupation at Lake Rotokākahi and are calling for the controversial sewerage project on the lake to be stopped until the Environment Court has made a decision.“We stand in solidarity with the peaceful Lake Rotokākahi resistance and are calling for a stop to all works. For too long Māori land has been confiscated, corrupted and condemned to degradation,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori Development Hūhana Lyndon. “As tangata whenua, we should be empowered...

Posted at February 25, 2025 9:55 AM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Public Works Act overhaul fails to protect Māori land

The Government’s so-called overhaul of the Public Works Act will fail to prevent further injustices around the confiscation of Māori land."Now is the time for this Government to be brave and ensure not one more acre of Māori land is stolen by the Crown,” says Green Party Māori Development spokesperson Hūhana Lyndon. “The Government is failing to address what remains a source of great injustice for Māori - that’s why I’m calling on all political parties to support my bill...

Posted at February 05, 2025 3:53 PM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Takutai Moana changes another assault on Te Tiriti

The Government must abandon its Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act interventions after the Waitangi Tribunal found it was committing gross breaches of the Treaty.“This Government is throwing relations between Māori and the Crown into deeper disharmony,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Steve Abel.  “Māori rights to their Customary waters are at the core of what Te Tiriti guarantees. We need to uphold and honour the founding agreement our nation is built upon. “But...

Posted at September 13, 2024 3:57 PM by Steve Abel

te tiriti o waitangi

Govt already seeking advice on Treaty referendum

On one hand, the Prime Minister has assured Aotearoa that his party will not support the Treaty Principles Bill beyond first reading, but on the other, his Government has already sought advice on holding a referendum on our founding document. “Seeking advice on holding a Treaty referendum cuts completely against the grain of the assurances Luxon has given the public on the Treaty Principles Bill,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori Development, Hūhana Lyndon. “Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the...

Posted at September 11, 2024 4:18 PM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Greens call on Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned after letter from Christian leaders

The Green Party is once again urging the Prime Minister to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill as a letter from more than 400 Christian leaders calls for the proposed legislation to be dropped.“This letter is an endorsement of Te Tiriti justice and an indictment on the Treaty Principles Bill,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori development, Hūhana Lyndon.  “Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides the foundation for us all to find common ground and build an Aotearoa where all of...

Posted at September 09, 2024 5:00 AM by Hūhana Lyndon and Steve Abel

te tiriti o waitangi

Vast majority of councils support Māori wards

Councils across the country have now decided where they stand regarding Māori wards, with a resounding majority in favour of keeping them in what is a significant setback for the Government.“The voice of our councils has echoed the chorus of calls opposing the Government’s concerted campaign to erase Māori wards and silence tangata whenua voice in local government decision making” says Green Party spokesperson for Māori Development, Hūhana Lyndon. “Forty-three out of 45 councils have voted in favour of keeping...

Posted at September 06, 2024 5:30 PM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Govt shirks its responsibility to Whakaata Māori

The Green Party has called out the Government for allowing Whakaata Māori to effectively collapse to a shell of its former self as job cuts and programming cuts were announced at the broadcaster today.“When the Government is spending $2.9 billion on tax cuts for landlords, it can surely afford to adequately fund a broadcaster which plays such a critical national role,” says Green Party’s Spokesperson for Māori Development Hūhana Lyndon. “Whakaata Māori was established two decades ago as a result...

Posted at August 29, 2024 11:55 AM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Greens call on Luxon to abandon Treaty Principles Bill following Waitangi Tribunal report

The Green Party is calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill following the Waitangi Tribunal’s scathing report on the proposed legislation. “Our Te Tiriti is a taonga. It binds us together, it should not be used to drive us apart,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori development, Hūhana Lyndon.  “At Waitangi, Christopher Luxon told Māori that Te Tiriti was our past, present and future. If he truly meant what he said, he would not allow...

Posted at August 16, 2024 12:30 PM by Hūhana Lyndon and Steve Abel

te tiriti o waitangi

Govt deals another blow to Maori-Crown relations

The cuts to Te Arawhiti will worsen relations between Māori and the Crown. “This is another blow to Māori and another step backwards in relations between tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti,” says the Green Party spokesperson for Māori Crown Relations Steve Abel.  “If we want to build on the important relationships that the Crown has developed with iwi over decades, and honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we need to be bolstering Māori institutions, not tearing them down or confusing their roles. ...

Posted at August 13, 2024 5:01 PM by Steve Abel

te tiriti o waitangi

Budget neglects Māori and disregards Te Tiriti

The Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka (Māori and Pasifika) caucus has labelled this year’s Budget as unambitious for Māori and unapologetic in its disregard for Te Tiriti. “Today’s Budget is pathetic, underwhelming and lazy,” says Green Party co-leader, Marama Davidson  “The Minister for Māori Development is clearly asleep at the wheel, I suspect he didn’t even bother to get in the waka.” “The Government has chosen to turn back time on Te Tiriti progress with a Budget that does little for Māori...

Posted at May 30, 2024 3:00 PM by Marama Davidson

te tiriti o waitangi

Government trying to rush Māori wards legislation through without public say

The Green Party unequivocally condemns the governing parties’ attempts to limit the public’s say on the controversial Māori wards legislation, after the select committee considering the legislation set a deadline for submissions of just five days. “This is a blatant attempt at doing democracy in the dark by shutting the public out from having its say on the incredibly controversial Māori wards legislation,” says Green Party spokesperson for Māori development Hūhana Lyndon.  “Five days. That is the amount of time this...

Posted at May 24, 2024 1:16 PM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Government introduces Bill to roll back Māori Wards

The Green Party has sounded the alarm over the Government’s introduction of legislation to remove Māori Wards and roll back years of progress. "Removing Māori wards would trample all over Te Tiriti and deprive Māori of the democracy they deserve," says the Green Party spokesperson for Māori Development, Hūhana Lyndon.  “Māori wards were created to establish equitable representation in local government. In this respect, communities have told us the wards work well in ensuring the unique voices and needs of Māori...

Posted at May 21, 2024 11:45 AM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Referendums for Māori wards a racist step backwards

The Government's imposed referendum on Māori wards is a racist step backwards for Māori representation, and disregards Te Tiriti o Waitangi.“This three headed taniwha government has continued their legislative attack on Māori and undermining progress made by local councils,  by imposing a referendum on Māori wards.” Says Green Party Māori Development spokesperson, Hūhana Lyndon. “Māori wards were established to ensure equitable representation in local government. They are an essential mechanism that empower the unique voices, experiences and needs of Māori to...

Posted at April 04, 2024 4:59 PM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Greens back Waitangi Tribunal inquiry into climate change policy

The Green Party supports The Waitangi Tribunal holding a priority kaupapa inquiry into climate change policy.“We applaud the collective action taken by Climate Justice Taranaki to take climate change to the Waitangi Tribunal for an urgent inquiry. And we stand by their claim that the Crown is breaching Te Tiriti o Waitangi failing to protect Te Iwi Māori from climate change impacts.” says Green Party Māori Development Spokesperson, Hūhana Lyndon. “The Government is willing to trash our taiao to pay...

Posted at February 16, 2024 1:46 PM by Hūhana Lyndon

te tiriti o waitangi

Dental stories collection reinforces need to invest in kaupapa Māori solutions

The Green Party has released a collection of stories showing the dire need for free dental care in Aotearoa.“These submissions tell us that whānau are having to loan money or forgo crucial dental treatment entirely, due to cost. For some, it's a choice between food on the table or a trip to the dentist," says the Green Party Māori Development, and Pacific Peoples, spokesperson, Teanau Tuiono. “These stories reinforce that for decades Māori and Pasifika have not been able to...

Posted at August 10, 2023 3:42 PM by Teanau Tuiono

te tiriti o waitangi

Green Party releases policy to return land to Māori

The time is now to be bold and make sure land wrongly taken from Māori is returned.The Green Party is today launching a policy which will return stolen land to tangata whenua. In the next term of government the Green Party will introduce legislation to restore Māori control over Māori land, so that whānau and Papatūānuku can thrive. “The Aotearoa we know today has been built off of Māori land, much of which was wrongly taken through breaches of Te...

Posted at July 17, 2023 11:00 AM by Marama Davidson and Teanau Tuiono

te tiriti o waitangi

Greens welcome much needed investment but Labour can go further for Te Ao Māori & Pasifika in the Budget

Today the Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka (Māori and Pasifika) caucus supported the 2023 Budget, but there’s still room for improvement."While we acknowledge the investment for Māori there's still much more to do to address generations of under-funding.” Says Green Party’s Māori Development spokesperson, Teanau Tuiono. “We are glad to see there is a focus particularly on Māori housing, the Green Party has always advocated for safe, accessible homes for all. We know that Māori are disproportionately affected by homelessness and...

Posted at May 18, 2023 2:21 PM by Teanau Tuiono

te tiriti o waitangi

Green Party announce ten Māori candidates in the initial list for the 2023 election

These candidates bring with them a vast range of experiences, knowledge and skills to this year's election. The Green Māori voice this year is strong, bold and shows the diversity of tangata whenua voices. The Māori candidates on the list with their ranking number are: #1 Marama Davidson #4 Dr. Elizabeth Kerekere  #6 Teanau Tuiono #8 Hūhana Lyndon  #13 Darleen Tana  #14 Kahurangi Carter  #16 Benjamin Doyle  #23 Reina Tuai Penney #24 Mike Davidson  #27 Rochelle Francis   This list is...

Posted at April 03, 2023 4:43 PM by Marama Davidson