Tongan community leaders have criticized New Zealand’s proposed Treaty Principles Bill, asserting it undermines Māori sovereignty and perpetuates colonial injustices.
The bill, introduced by ACT Party leader David Seymour, seeks to redefine the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, aiming to establish equal rights for all New Zealanders.
During ongoing oral submissions, Pakilau Manase Lua of the Aotearoa Tongan Response Group said, “The Treaty of Waitangi Principles Bill and its champions and enablers represent the spirit of the coloniser.”
Lua highlighted New Zealand’s historical interventions in Pacific nations, saying, “The New Zealand government, or the Crown, has shown time and again that it has a pattern of trampling on the mana and sovereignty of indigenous peoples, not just here in Aotearoa, but also in the Pacific region.”
Poet Karlo Mila, representing the artist collective Mana Moana, emphasized the colonial legacy, asking, “Have you ever paused to wonder why we speak English here, half a world away from England?”
Mila described the bill as a political tool sowing division, saying, “We watch political parties sow seeds of disunity using disingenuous history, harnessing hate speech and the haka of destiny, scapegoating ‘vulnerable enemies’… Yes, for us, it’s a forest fire out there and brown bodies are moving political targets, every inflammatory word finding kindling in kindred racists.”
Anahila Kanongata’a, chair of the Aotearoa Tongan Response Group, called for the bill’s withdrawal and a formal apology to Māori, similar to the Dawn Raids apology. She urged the Crown to “honour Te Tiriti.”
In response, David Seymour defended the bill, saying, “In a democracy, the citizens are always ready to decide the future. That’s how it works.”
The debate continues as public submissions are heard, reflecting deep divisions over the bill’s implications for New Zealand’s foundational treaty and indigenous rights.
