Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a fundamental part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s constitution. We are committed to honouring and resolving breaches of te Tiriti.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a fundamental constitutional document
- Te Tiriti is important for all New Zealanders as it gives Pakeha a right to stand in this land, and it guarantees the protection of Māori rights and autonomy.
- The te reo Māori version of te Tiriti is the legitimate text, but te Tiriti is a living document.
- The rangatiratanga of tangata whenua is a collective human right protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Treaty settlement process should be improved to be more just and equitable
- The Waitangi Tribunal should be better resourced, including more resources for claimants to prepare and present their cases.
- The “full and final” settlement model should be replaced with alternative just and sustainable models of restitution.
- Government should be required to fully consider all Tribunal recommendations and report to Parliament about its intentions to comply with recommendations, or not.
Tangata whenua should have partnership roles in governance
- Māori should be able to change between the general and Māori electoral rolls at any time.
- The Māori parliamentary seats should be entrenched and tangata whenua should have guaranteed participation in local government.
- Māori should have a partnership role setting immigration policy.
Rangatiratanga should be upheld
- The Government should promote and support programmes such as whanau ora, whare wānanga, marae-based justice, papakainga housing, rongoa Māori, and hauora practices.
- Māori assets, intellectual property, and taonga should be protected in international trade agreements.
The Crown should promote public understanding of te Tiriti
- Te Tiriti training programmes developed in partnership with tangata whenua should be available in schools, tertiary institutions, workplaces, and for new immigrants.
- The Crown should actively support processes for ongoing dialogue between the treaty partners.
