The Green Party has welcomed the extension of submissions for the Treaty Principles Bill but remains firm in its call to scrap the legislation entirely.
The Bill, which aims to re-examine the principles underlying New Zealand's founding agreement, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, has been met with opposition from the Green Party. According to Justice Committee representative Tamatha Paul, "Te Tiriti o Waitangi is enduring. Governments are temporary." The party argues that there is no need for the Bill to proceed further than its current Select Committee stage and should be abandoned altogether.
The decision to extend submissions was seen as a "bare minimum" by the Green Party, which believes the real issue lies in the Bill's very existence. Paul stated that allowing the Bill to live on will only perpetuate dis- and misinformation, citing research from Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa. The party claims that resources would be better spent addressing pressing issues such as housing insecurity, poverty, environmental decline, and a struggling healthcare system.
The Green Party continues to urge Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to uphold the founding agreement and abandon the Treaty Principles Bill altogether, arguing that it is his responsibility to do so given the conditions of his coalition agreement with ACT and National.