Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill.

The committee finished more than a month ahead of the 14 May deadline set by Parliament with the report expected to be presented and available tomorrow.

“Labour sought an extension of time so that all submitters could be heard and their submissions put on the permanent record. Instead, the Justice Select Committee has rammed it through with outrageous haste,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said.

“This is an appalling lack of process on a hugely consequential bill.

“David Seymour told Cabinet that there would be six months of consultation before the select committee, and a Cabinet Minute confirmed that it would be considered until the week of 16 May.

“Now, with Government members rushing to report the bill back early, the process is exposed for what it really is—a sham.

“This shows utter contempt for the many New Zealanders who took the time to submit and whose views are now missing from the record.

“Many of these submitters will have found making a submission challenging. This Bill seeks to undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and many of us did not want to have this debate at all. Now the committee is telling them all that effort, that time and emotion, wasn’t worth their time.

“The New Zealand public were forced to have their say on this Bill, now the Government is not doing them the justice of including what thousands of them said,” Duncan Webb said.

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