Caritas calls for rejection of Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill in its entirety

In a submission on the legislation, Caritas said it believes that “this Bill goes against the common good of all New Zealanders”.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is the New Zealand Catholic bishops’ agency for justice, peace and development.

The work of Caritas is shaped by Catholic Social Teaching, and therefore its submission on the Bill is guided by principles of human dignity – Te tapu o te tangata, solidarity – Kotahitanga, and the common good – Hei painga mā te katoa.

In its submission, Caritas said that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is “a foundational document for our nation, giving us a unique opportunity to build an inclusive society while honouring the rights of indigenous people. The Bill clearly distorts and abrogates the meaning of Te Tiriti”.

Te Tiriti “provides a moral basis for all other people who have come to call Aotearoa their home by guaranteeing reciprocal rights and obligations between the Crown and Māori. By providing for an equitable relationship, Te Tiriti provides the foundation for solidarity between all New Zealanders on a basis of mutual trust and fairness,” the submission continued.

“The text and spirit of Te Tiriti o Waitangi promises that all people’s rights will be respected, including the fundamental rights of tangata whenua to maintain tino rangatiratanga over their taonga and whenua,” the submission noted.

Te Tiriti is an important source of this country’s future success, prosperity and unity, Caritas added.

But the Crown redefining the treaty, as the Bill could do, “threatens to destabilise the country and damage our future”.

“Caritas believes the Bill will undermine Te Tiriti by rewriting its principles. It is unjust and immoral for the Government to consider unilaterally ignoring the rights guaranteed to Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

A treaty creates an ongoing relationship of responsibilities between its parties, Caritas added, and parties cannot unilaterally opt out or change the terms of the agreement.

“The Government should be guided by the common good of all New Zealanders. This Bill’s objective is to distort our nation’s founding document, abrogate the rights of indigenous people and stir controversy and division. Caritas believes this Bill goes against the common good of all New Zealanders, and we oppose it on that basis.”

FULL STORY

Caritas submission on Treaty Principles Bill (Full)