Today afternoon, the Treaty Principles Bill had its second reading. Only ACT had the courage to defend equal rights. Every other party voted against the Bill.
What the Bill’s opponents have failed to accept is that the question isn’t going away: Is New Zealand a tribal society where your rights depend on your ancestry, or a liberal democracy where everyone has the same rights?
It will only be answered when Parliament decides to fill a decades-long void and define the principles of the Treaty so that New Zealanders are equal before the law.
While New Zealanders have told us loud and clear they are ready to have a mature debate, it seems most of their representatives are not.
New Zealanders have been let down by their political leaders.Parliament had an opportunity to push back against the courts and the bureaucracy, and define what the Treaty means itself, but chose to look the other way.Geoffrey, with the Treaty Principles Bill voted down, supporters have been asking me if this means ACT will give up on the campaign for equal rights.
The answer is no. ACT will never give up on the promise of equal rights. The logic of equal rights is irresistible. Even if it is not a reality today, it will be eventually.
The media, the bureaucracy and many politicians hope that today’s vote will make this issue go away and sweep the debate around equal rights under the carpet. Together, we won’t let them.
In the meantime, we will double down on our efforts to remove divisive race-based policies from health services, education, resource management, and more.The fight for equal rights continues. Today’s vote made it clearer than ever why it is so important to have a strong team of ACT MPs in Parliament.
But we can only achieve that with your support. Our movement relies on Kiwis like you who share our vision of a New Zealand where ancestry does not define us
| Thank you for standing up for equal rights. Sincerely,   David Seymour ACT Leader |