Make a submission on the Treaty Principles Bill
As educators, we have worked hard over many years to understand and enact practices that give life to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
This guide will tautoko you to make a submission to the select committee on the Treaty Principles Bill. This is your chance to uphold the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and show your support as an educator, a community leader, and An advocate for future generations.
Haere mai te tini me te mano! It is important that as many people as possible have their say on this divisive Bill to show our opposition to redefining Te Tiriti o Waitangi. You can submit as an individual or as a group.
Submissions will close on Tuesday 7 January.
How to make a submission
Make a submission now
He aha te raru? What is the problem?
Te Huarahi Māori Motuhake (THMM), the national Māori governing body of the Post Primary Teachers’ Association, PPTA Te Wehengarua, are united in our opposition to the Treaty Principles Bill. We share the view that the Bill is based upon ‘a disingenuous historical narrative that distorts the language of Te Tiriti and undermines social progress and cohesion.
The principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi provide a mechanism to address Treaty breaches and improve relations between the Crown and iwi and hapū and should not be used to alter the intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Tampering with these principles is a regression of the last 50 years of positive movement forward for Te Tiriti relations. Tangata whenua, educationalists and tangata Tiriti have worked hard over many years to understand and enact practices that give life to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and we want to ensure this hard work is not wasted. We oppose any actions that deliberately undermine the status of tangata whenua and relinquish the Crown’s obligation to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The Treaty Principles Bill looks to define three new principles based on the articles of the Treaty of Waitangi. There specific issues with these proposed principles are detailed in our Member Guide (pictured below).
Tuhinga o te tuku kōrero / Suggested Writing Structure
An effective and powerful submission is a simple one that explains your own or your group’s views on the subject. This suggested structure will help you to clearly communicate your thoughts, but it is just a guide – you can alter it to suit what best gets your ideas across.
- Ko wai au/ ko wai mātou? | Who are you? Introduce yourself
If you are writing an individual submission, kei te pai. Consider sharing a bit of your background and any information you think may be relevant. All submissions are published on the Parliament website, so any information you provide will be made publicly available.
If you are writing on behalf of your PPTA branch, include the branch name and the number of members.
- He pātai tāku…/ I / We ask
Me kōrero totika. Begin by identifying what you want the select committee to do. This could be to abolish the bill, to stop the bill from going any further or make a national statement that the Treaty Principles Bill has been rejected.
You can have multiple asks. Use bullet points and keep them short and succinct – just one or two sentences.
- Pitopito Kōrero | The details
Provide background information for each “ask” or recommendation.
Separate each ask as its own paragraph/section.
Explain and provide evidence to support each ask, giving your reasoning. This could draw from your professional experience, and/or from reports and research from other sources.
Ensure language is factual and professional.
- He aha te mea nui I tēnei kaupapa? | What is at stake?
End your submission with a statement about what is at stake from this bill. What is the biggest threat that this bill has for you, your whānau, iwi and Aotearoa whānui?
Make it personal- how does this bill affect you? Consider this as a Kaiako and cultural provider for your ākonga. Consider how this might affect how you meet your Te Tiriti Teaching Standard requirements.
Make a submission now
He aha ināianei | What now?
Pātai atu ki te kōrero a waha ki a rātou e pā ana ki te tuku kōrero | Make an oral submission
When making your submission, you can also opt in to make an oral submission. We encourage you to do this as you may have the opportunity to talk directly to the members of the select committee.
You will be contacted by the select committee as to how this will happen (e.g. online or in person – it is up to you).
Whakawhiti kōrero ā iwi, hāpori, whānau | Talk about it in your community!
Connect with your iwi and community to discuss your response to the Treaty Principles Bill. Share your submission with your iwi and with your local school community.
You should also share your submission with your local Kaitōrangapū MP. You can find your local MP’s contact details here.
Kōrerotia te Kaupapa ki a rātou mā.
It is important to keep lines for conversations open, especially friends and whanau who may be swayed by mis-information. Resources like this Te Tiriti Conversations can help you to navigate conversations, because it is important to share accurate information about Te Tiriti.
Activate members of your kura - if everyone who submits talks to 5 people about it, we are spreading awareness and encouraging others to follow suit! Share this guide with them to make their own submission.