College Strongly Opposes Treaty Principles Bill

The New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine strongly opposes the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill and categorically rejects the three principles that it proposes.

The Bill is premised on dubious rationale, purports to solve a problem that does not exist and has been developed in a manner prejudicial to Māori.

Its principles subvert decades of jurisprudence and distort key concepts in our nation’s founding document. It has already provided a platform for misinformation and racism that is undermining social cohesion and harming health. If enacted, it would erode the very purpose and status of te Tiriti in our constitutional arrangements and lead to increased health inequities for Māori.

“Existing Tiriti principles such as tino rangatiratanga, equity, active protection, options and partnership have been carefully developed over many years and provide the impetus and framework for solutions to improve Māori health outcomes” says College President Sir Collin Tukuitonga. “Replacing these principles under the guise of equality is disingenuous and will undermine the health of Māori.”

Tukuitonga says the principles that are being proposed in the Bill advance the discredited agenda of assimilation because they are designed to end the distinct status of Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa. “We concur with others including the Waitangi Tribunal that the proposed principles trample the mana of te Tiriti, discriminate against Māori, abrogate Māori rights and extinguish tino rangatiratanga”.

The College is urging the Justice Committee to recommend that the Bill not progress to a second reading in the house.

Read our full submission on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill here: https://nzcphm.org.nz/Submissions/10943/

The New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine is the professional body representing the medical specialty of public health medicine in Aotearoa New Zealand. Public Health Medicine is the branch of medicine concerned with the assessment of population health and health care needs, the development of policy and strategy, health promotion, the control and prevention of disease, and the organisation of services. For information about our mahi, members or purpose visit our website www.nzcphm.org.nz

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