DON BRASH: A "House of Iwi Lords"? Te Pāti Māori’s radical plan exposed

The following is written in Don's capacity as Hobson's Pledge Trustee

Te Pāti Māori's latest proposal is unlikely to become law. However, with all the ongoing talk about the importance of the Treaty and racial preferences by the Labour Party, Green Party, and TOP, we cannot totally rule it out.

As I write, there is no parliamentary majority for it, and most New Zealanders would reject it outright.

But that's not the point.

The real significance of this latest announcement is that it exposes just how radical Te Pāti Māori's constitutional vision has become.

Their proposal would make Waitangi Tribunal findings binding on governments, create a powerful new Treaty Commission, and place increasing constraints on the ability of elected representatives to govern.

For many New Zealanders, this confirms what has long been suspected and what Hobson’s Pledge have been warning for a long time: Te Pāti Māori is no longer simply arguing for greater recognition of Māori interests within our democracy.

It is advocating for a fundamentally different political system, one that is not democratic.

Instead, they want power to transfer from democratically elected Members of Parliament to unelected iwi activists.

In effect, a House of Iwi Lords!

The Waitangi Tribunal was established as a commission of inquiry that makes recommendations. Te Pāti Māori wants those recommendations to become binding on future governments.

This means any future government is not actually in control. The Tribunal is!

Hobson's Pledge have already been calling for an end to the Waitangi Tribunal. Its power and influence have gone well beyond its original purpose, and now acts solely as a voice for activists and a brake on democratic governance.

To make it the final arbiter of New Zealand laws simply confirms the need to get rid of the Tribunal now.

Our democracy is based on equal voting and equality before the law. Or at least it should be.

We already know it is not perfect, with separate Māori seats and too many examples of people being treated differently according to their ancestry to list here, be it in the health system, education, or more.

Our democracy is based on us electing people to represent us in Parliament. What Te Pāti Māori and its activist allies want is power to move to unelected commissions, tribunals, and iwi activists.

In a democracy, governments are elected by the people and can be removed by the people. The ultimate authority rests with voters.

If decision-making shifted away from voters, tribal authorities would gain unprecedented power over public policy. They already hold significant influence, but Te Pāti Māori wants even more.

Te Pāti Māori wants political and constitutional power to be based on ancestry and tribal status rather than democratic consent.

We must remain committed to a democratically elected Parliament. It is why we must also continue to call for an end to the Waitangi Tribunal as well as the Māori seats; they are incompatible with a democracy based on everyone being equal.

It is tempting to just ignore Te Pāti Māori as fringe and, on current polling, unlikely to retain all the seats they once held. But this misses the point – they are just part of a wider political landscape of parties obsessed with the supposed primacy of the Treaty and race-based decision-making.

Political parties often reveal their true ambitions when they think beyond what is immediately achievable. This policy tells New Zealanders exactly what kind of country Te Pāti Māori would like to create if given the opportunity.

For those of us who firmly believe in one person, one vote, equal citizenship, and a Parliament accountable to all New Zealanders equally, this announcement serves as an important reminder of what is at stake at this election.

It is not just Te Pāti Māori but all those parties that align with this Treaty-centric and divisive view.

We are one people. We believe in equal rights.

Let’s ensure that at this election we keep it that way.