Treaty Principles Bill passes first reading

Act leader David Seymour. File photo
Act leader David Seymour. File photo
The Treaty Principles Bill has passed its first reading and will now go to the Justice Committee for consideration.

The bill passed its first reading as expected with support from National, NZ First and Act.

Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori did not support it.

It has been referred to Parliament's Justice Select Committee where it was expected to go through a six-month public consultation process before coming back to the House for its second reading.

National had already committed to not support the Bill at second reading, suggesting the Bill would not progress into law without support from the Opposition, which was very unlikely.

Associate Justice Minister and Act leader David Seymour said all New Zealanders would now be able to have their say on the Treaty Principles Bill after it passed its first reading

“I look forward to seeing what Kiwis have to say on the Bill over the six month select committee process,” Seymour said. 

The passing of the bill came after the Maori Party's Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke was suspended from the house following a haka.

Maipi-Clarke interrupted the vote on the first reading with a haka taken up by members of the opposition and people in the public gallery.

During the haka, the Speaker Gerry Brownlee rose to his feet.

When it finished, he suspended Parliament and asked for the public gallery to be cleared.

When the House returned, Brownlee said Ms Maipi-Clarke's behaviour was grossly disorderly, appallingly disrespectful, and premeditated.