The controversial Treaty Principles bill has been defeated after the people of Aotearoa New Zealand spoke out against it in record numbers.
The bill was put to parliament for its second reading on April 10, where it was voted down 112 votes to 11. The only MPs to vote in favour of it were from ACT, the libertarian party that introduced it.
This followed a six-month public consultation period in which a record-breaking number of people had their say about the divisive bill.
Submissions were overwhelmingly opposed to it, with 90% speaking against it and just 8% supporting it. Two percent of submissions provided no definitive view.
The justice select committee charged with managing the process received more than 300,000 written submissions — the highest number ever for a parliamentary bill. They also heard 80 hours of oral submissions from 529 people over the course of 5 weeks.
The committee ultimately recommended that the bill not proceed further than its second reading.
Their report stated that common themes amongst opponents to the bill were its inconsistency with the Treaty/te Tiriti, the possible negative effect on social cohesion, and flaws in the bill development process.
The controversial bill sought to "redefine" the principles of Aotearoa’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi.
ACT’s leader David Seymour claims Māori are afforded special rights and privileges due to the way the Treaty/te Tiriti has been interpreted.
However, opponents see the bill as a tool to undermine the status of Māori as the indigenous people of Aotearoa.
The bill was one of ACT’s flagship campaign policies leading up to the 2023 general election in which they received just 9% of the public’s vote.
Despite this, they were able to push the contentious bill through as part of their agreement with the National party, which they formed a coalition government with along with NZ First.
In response to the select committee’s report, Seymour claimed the result reflected a country that is “divided on [the] issue”, even though the majority of submissions were opposed to the bill.
After the bill’s defeat he posted on social media that his party “will never give up” on the idea, vowing that “between now and the next election, we’ll be showing the next steps".
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was not in Parliament for the second reading, a move that Labour leader Chris Hipkins called “cowardly”. Luxon blamed his absence on scheduling conflicts.
In a speech before the vote, Hipkins said the proposed legislation would forever "be a stain on our country."
Te Pati Māori (Maori Party) MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke caught the world’s attention last year when she tore up a copy of the bill and led a haka in parliament to protest against it.
In her speech, Maipi-Clarke highlighted that the process has proven Aotearoa is not divided on the issue: “This bill hasn’t been stopped; this bill has been absolutely annihilated.
“We are not divided, but united … This ignited an emotion that echoed with all walks of life, all races, all ages and all genders across the world.”
As the bill died, those present in parliament cheered and applauded. ACT’s MPs departed quickly, before the remaining lawmakers and those in the public gallery performed a waiata — a traditional Māori song — in celebration.