Ōtākou rūnaka upoko Edward Ellison said the Bill’s defeat by 112 votes to 11 at its second reading in Parliament last night was "a substantial push back against the futile attempt from [Act New Zealand leader] David Seymour to introduce a direct referendum on the Treaty".
"I think the galvanising of interest, not only Māori but many Pākehā, has been considerable.
"It’s engendered a lot of kōtahitanga among Māori, so there’s many attributes to it that the architect of the Bill [Mr Seymour] couldn’t anticipate, which I think will continue on for a considerable impact going forward."
The Bill aimed to define the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, but the Waitangi Tribunal has argued that, if enacted, it would revoke the promises and guarantees Queen Victoria made to Māori in 1840.
Act was the only party to vote in favour of the Bill at its second reading.
Mr Ellison said the Bill, which "generated a lot of heat" from the public, also served a positive purpose.
"In terms of the select committee process, I thought there was some outstanding, factual, considered, reasoned submissions put forward that would be educative to a lot of people, I think, about the Treaty, the place of the Treaty, and the futility of trying to change the wording.
"The Treaty is quite simple, the principles are quite simple, and so I think I take the positive out of it."
Prior to the second reading, the select committee heard 80 hours of oral submissions, with former prime ministers, leading academics, doctors, King’s Counsels and everyday people making presentations.
Mr Ellison said he enjoyed being involved in the select committee process, both as a personal submitter, and as someone who submitted alongside several other groups.
"We’re on a journey of correcting the past, and I can understand how people could characterise that in a negative way that raises public concern among the public, but I think overall it’s probably been educative."
The Treaty, as a document and as a process, was a living, ongoing discussion, he said.
"That discussion was important, I thought, because we took the opportunity to explain the positive things that were happening post-settlement here, probably, and within my day.
"You know, the importance of it is there’s so many positive things that have arisen, and that it’s not all negative. It’s just people don’t see that, or don’t understand that totally."
The House erupted with Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi after the BIll was voted down, while one man performed a haka in the public gallery.
When asked whether he accepted what Parliament has decided, with 112 noes to 11 ayes, Mr Seymour told RNZ: "I accept that they’ve decided on this particular Bill at this point in time".
During the second reading, Speaker Gerry Brownlee ordered Labour MP Willie Jackson to leave the House for not withdrawing and apologising for a reference to Mr Seymour and the word "liar".
Mr Jackson told the Speaker he could not withdraw it because it would be a disservice to everyone who supported his statement.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins began his speech by saying it was not a privilege to be speaking on the Bill, because it was "a grubby little Bill, born of a grubby little deal".
He said the Bill has had a colossal impact on the fabric of the nation, and would forever be a stain on the country.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said the outcome of the Bill had been known since it was introduced.
"National has consistently said we’ll not support it into law, fundamentally because we regard the Bill — which seeks to impose a particular interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi by simple majority and referendum — as a crude way to handle a very sensitive topic."
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said the Bill had allowed for a conversation that was ill-informed, and he believed there must be more education about Treaty obligations.
"I believe we haven’t had the education that everybody deserves to have in relation to our constitutional arrangements." — Additional reporting RNZ
