Te Pati Maori will make the Waitangi Tribunal recommendations binding
Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi says New Zealand First's call to review the Waitangi Tribunal proves the coalition has learnt nothing from the Tribunal's latest report.
"The Waitangi Tribunal has found that the Government's Treaty clause review is a major breach of Te Tiriti. Instead of fixing the breach, Shane Jones wants to investigate the institution that exposed it."
Waititi says this is about far more than constitutional law.
"It is about accountability. When an independent watchdog tells the Government it has breached Te Tiriti, the Government's job is to address the breach, not attack the watchdog."
Te Pāti Māori says the latest developments expose a deeper flaw in Aotearoa's constitutional arrangements.
"The Waitangi Tribunal can investigate, hear evidence and make findings. But governments can simply ignore them."
"That is why Te Pāti Māori will make Waitangi Tribunal recommendations binding, establish a Parliamentary Commissioner for Te Tiriti, and require every Bill before Parliament to include a Te Tiriti Impact Statement."
Waititi says New Zealanders should ask a simple question.
"If governments can ignore the Waitangi Tribunal every time they don't like the answer, what accountability is left?"
"Our answer is simple. We will ensure that we put mechanisms in place to strengthen the institutions that uphold Te Tiriti instead of allowing others to weaken them."
