Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at Rātana Pa. Photo: RNZ / Reece Baker
The prime minister has ruled out signing up to a treaty referendum if National and ACT are back at the negotiating table after elections in 2026.
The Treaty Principles Bill continues to dog the National Party despite Luxon's repeated efforts to communicate the legislation will not go beyond second reading.
At Rātana Pa today, Kiingitanga spokesperson Rahui Papa told Luxon "the state of the Māori nation is at the highest level of concern that it has been for a whole lot of years."
Luxon responded by reiterating a message he has repeated ad naseum during his time in the top job, that "National won't support the bill, it will be voted down and it won't become law".
He was later asked what he would do if the ACT Party asked for a public referendum on the Treaty next term.
"I will [refuse]. It's a no for me."
When approached for comment, ACT Party leader David Seymour said: "It's always best not to get too far ahead of yourself, you've got to serve the people and see if they re-elect you first."
Luxon said there was no doubt the Treaty Principles Bill had caused anxiety on both sides of the debate and blamed the former Labour government for the angst.
"We are where we are because of, I think, the previous government not making the case for the changes it was driving through that period of time, but that then creating that division."
The Treaty Principles Bill is government legislation Luxon himself signed, sealed and delivered for ACT through the coalition agreements at the start of the term.
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick at Rātana Pa. Photo: RNZ / Reece Baker
The Green Party today pushed for National to bin the bill right now, arguing it had technically fulfilled its coalition promise now it was before select committee.
It was not something Luxon would entertain.
"We want to run a process. That was our commitment that we take it to first reading and select committee," he said.
The Justice Committee would start hearing oral submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill on Monday and Luxon had been keen to emphasise the process was nearly over.
"The reality is it will pass. We've got one more month of submissions and then the bill will be killed."
Deputy Prime Minister and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters also emphasised the bill's limited lifetime today, saying it was "dead in the water".
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer speaking to media at Rātana on 24 January, 2025. Photo: RNZ/ Reece Baker
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer later told reporters the strong statements had only left people asking why the bill had got this far if neither National or New Zealand First liked it.
"The whole way through they have assured us that they will vote the bill down - but where I was sitting, which is like second row from the pae, everyone was saying, 'then why?'
"Why did you agree to it? Why are you here defending that you agreed to it? Why are we having to waste all that ink?"
Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick said National could halt select committee proceedings now if it wanted.
Kamaka Manuela and Labour Leader Chris Hipkins at Rātana Pa Photo: RNZ / Reece Baker
"The coalition agreement says to take it to select committee, it doesn't promise a second reading."
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the statements at Rātana Pa would do little to assuage people's concerns about the legislation.
"The damage has been done. They've set the relationship between Māori and non-Māori back by decades and it was an unnecessary debate. We didn't need to do this."
Luxon said he and his senior leadership team had maintained "constructive dialogue" with iwi leaders over the last year with a focus on what areas the Crown and Māori could collaborate on.
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