The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill.

“We welcome the bare minimum decision to extend the deadline but know this Bill must be put in the bin altogether. Our founding agreement should never be up for negotiation by one tiny part of one side,” says the Green Party’s Justice Committee representative, Tamatha Paul.

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi is enduring. Governments are temporary.

“There is no reason why this Bill cannot be thrown out right now. The coalition agreement between ACT and National only commits to the Treaty Principles Bill being brought to Select Committee. There is no commitment or need for it to be taken any further, it can and must be abandoned now.

“The power is in your hands, Christopher, as it was from the start when. You have now fulfilled the conditions of your poorly negotiated coalition agreement. Now you need to do your job and uphold the founding agreement this nation was built on and kill this Bill.

“The spread of dis- and misinformation fuelled by this Bill is well documented by the likes of Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa in their public submission on the legislation. Nothing good will come from allowing it to live on.

“This Bill should have never been introduced in the first place. This is a complete waste of resources at a time when there are bigger fish to fry; housing insecurity, poverty, environmental decline, and a health system crumbling before our eyes,” says Tamatha Paul.

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