The government has agreed to amend references to the Treaty of Waitangi across 19 pieces of legislation.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said the amendments would ensure references to the principles of the treaty are clear and consistent.

“Over the last 30-40 years, Parliament has made all sorts of references to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi,” Goldsmith said. “Sometimes it’s ‘honour’ or ‘have regard to’ or ‘give effect to’ or ‘take into account’.

“We need to create some consistency here, in the interests of increasing certainty and supporting compliance. A core foundation of our success as a nation is predictability in the law.”

As part of the National-NZ First coalition agreement, the government agreed to conduct a comprehensive review of all legislation that includes ‘the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi’, and replace all such references with specific words relating to the relevance and application of the treaty, or repeal the references.

“Twenty-eight acts, such as the Conservation Act, were originally in scope of the review, but this was reduced to 19. Some acts are being reviewed through other processes, and all existing full and final treaty settlements are being excluded.”

“The advisory group has completed its review and provided the government with a variety of recommendations.

“The government has agreed to amend two references to be more specific, repeal seven references and specify no higher standard than to ‘take into account’ should be used in provisions to the Treaty of Waitangi across 10 acts.

“The government has also agreed a reference to both the Treaty of Waitangi and te Tiriti o Waitangi is preferable, and should be used in all relevant provisions going forward.

“These decisions have been made as a first step. Conversations will continue around how this review could go further in the future.”

The government was now consulting with iwi and the legislation would go through a full select committee process, where all New Zealanders could have their say, Goldsmith said.

However, the Waitangi Tribunal’s report into changes to the treaty clauses in the Education and Training Act, released on Friday, found the government had so far only reached out to one national Māori body, the National Iwi Chairs Forum.

“We found Minister Goldsmith’s view that the select committee would otherwise provide a sufficient opportunity for others to provide input to be manifestly inadequate and an insult to Māori,” wrote presiding officer Rachel Mullins.

Which acts will be affected?

Within the 19 acts in scope, the government has agreed to:

Amend two references to be more specific:

• Section 14(a) of the Data and Statistics Act 2022
• Section 8 of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996

Repeal seven references:

• Section 536A(1) of the Education and Training Act 2020
• Section 6(d) of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2000
• Sections 4 and 5(1)b) of the Organic Products and Production Act 2023
• Section 3AB of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990
• Section 84(b) of the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998, to remove potential duplication subject to further advice
• Section 54 of the Plant Variety Rights Act 2022 to remove duplication

Specify no higher standard than to ‘take into account’ should be used in provisions to the Treaty of Waitangi across 10 acts:

• Section 3A of the Climate Change Response Act 2002
• Section 15(3) of the Criminal Cases Review Commission Act 2019
• Section 5 of the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998
• Sections 4 and 14(a) of the Data and Statistics Act 2022
• Sections 4(2) and 9 of the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Act 2023
• Sections 9 and 535B(a) of the Education and Training Act 2020
• Sections 3(3)(c) and 12 of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012
• Sections 3(b)(i) and 9(1)(a) of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Act 2020
• Sections 5(1) and 6 of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022
• Sections 5(g)(i) and 19(1)(b)(i) of the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai Act 2020

Acts being reviewed separately to this process are:

• Conservation Act 1987
• Crown Minerals Act 1991
• Resource Management Act 1991
• Harbour Boards Dry Land Endowment Revesting Act 1991
• Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000
• Urban Development Act 2020
• Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities Act 2019

Claimants respond

Education union NZEI Te Riu Roa – a claimant in Waitangi Tribunal’s inquiry – is backing the tribunal’s call to pause legislation amending the Education and Training Act’s treaty provisions.

President Ripeka Lessels said the legislation should be paused, until there was meaningful consultation with Māori.

“This crown didn’t just not consult, they didn’t take any of their own official advisers’ advice, but moreover, they didn’t bother to inform themselves about what the impact of their decisions would be on tamariki Māori.”

The tribunal released its report publicly at midday Friday, but half an hour before the report was made public, Goldsmith released the full list of changes to the media.

Lessels questioned whether the timing was deliberate.

“[Goldsmith would] have known that the report from the tribunal was going out today, but putting them out there, I guess in some part on his part to maybe counter the fact that this is what the tribunal is saying.”

Treaty lawyer and Green Party candidate Tania Waikato will present evidence in a separate urgent tribunal hearing looking into the matter in early June.

Weakening the references for “clarity” was just a “convenient excuse” to justify a coalition agreement between National and NZ First, she said.

“New Zealand First said that they wanted to recognise one standard for all New Zealanders. It’s got nothing to do with clarity, it’s got nothing to do with consistency – the courts have been interpreting these statutes for a long time and they are absolutely clear on what all of those different standards mean.”

The government was being underhanded in the way it had dealt with the amendments, she said.

“Not only did they hide it, they continued to say ‘we haven’t made these decisions yet, there’s nothing further for us to disclose to the tribunal’, even though they were under orders from the tribunal to keep them updated about when these decisions were being made.”

Waikato said the Treaty Principles Bill that inspired the largest hīkoi in New Zealand history paled by comparison to what the government was now planning.

“They are trying to take Te Tiriti back into the dark ages and we cannot allow them to do that, without shining the biggest possible light onto what they are doing and holding Minister Goldsmith to account for the absolute hatchet job that he has done on the Māori-crown relationship,” she said.

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The Waitangi Tribunal has recommended an immediate halt to draft legislation weakening government obligations to the Treaty in education, which it says is as bad as the Treaty Principles Bill in its attempt to erase the Crown’s duty to the Treaty.

In its stage one report, the Tribunal found the Crown breached the principles of partnership and good government when it planned to either weaken or entirely erase the Treaty clauses in the Education and Training Act (ETA).

In her letter addressed to Ministers Paul Goldsmith, Erica Standford, David Seymour, Tama Potaka and Shane Jones, presiding officer Rachel Mullins said the Tribunal only found out about the Crown plans the night before their inquiry was due to start.

“On the eve of hearing, Crown counsel filed a memorandum revealing your intention, as agreed by Cabinet on 23 February 2026, to downgrade the treaty standard in multiple sections of the Act to no higher than ‘take into account’, to amend or repeal section 536A(1), and to replace references to te Tiriti with a reference to both texts.”

“Cabinet’s decisions were new to us and had been made without any consultation or engagement with Māori,” she said.

The report found the Crown failed to meaningfully engage with the Māori on the proposed changes by only reaching out to one national Māori body, the National Iwi Chairs Forum, after “substantive decisions” had been made.

“We found Minister Goldsmith’s view that the select committee would otherwise provide a sufficient opportunity for others to provide input to be manifestly inadequate and an insult to Māori.

“We considered that the Crown acted contrary to officials’ advice and demonstrated a reckless disregard for the (likely and advised) harm to the Māori-Crown relationship that would result from its approach,” Mullins said.

The inquiry was filed by Ngāti Hine, Te Kapotai and education union NZEI Te Riu Roa and was originally set to look into the removal of school boards’ legal obligation to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and plans to reset the national curriculum.

The Tribunal expanded the scope of the inquiry in light of last minute revelations and has granted urgency to a separate inquiry into proposed changes to Treaty clauses across eight other Acts.

‘Ripple effects’

The report also found the Cabinet agreed to the proposals despite “clear and repeated” advice from its own officials that not enough was known about the potential impacts of the proposals.

“What was known, however, was the proposals carried a risk of harm to the Māori-Crown relationship and, as treaty provisions can act as safeguards for Māori interests, reducing or repealing obligations therein could disproportionately impact Māori. We agreed with officials that downgrading treaty standards in the Act to as low as ‘take into account’ would signal a shift in the Crown’s commitment to the treaty as it applies to education.”

“Minister Goldsmith is yet to make decisions on changes to the purpose provisions in the Act, which refer to giving effect to and honouring the treaty. He seems likely to downgrade those commitments too, the potential impact of which would send ripple effects across the Act.”

Mullins wrote that the decision to diminish the Crown’s treaty obligations in the Education and Training Act to one of the lowest standards of ‘take into account’ – despite the lack of engagement and the strongly worded official advice not to do so – represents a major breach of the treaty and its principles.

“It is as bad as the Treaty Principles Bill in its attempt to erase the Crown’s duty to comply with the agreement made between Māori and the Crown in 1840. It may even be worse, because the Treaty Principles Bill in theory was never going to be enacted.

“It is, as we put it, an attempt by the Crown to takahi the mana of the treaty and its place in the laws of Aotearoa. We do not have jurisdiction to discuss the amendments intended for other pieces of legislation, but we would be surprised if our findings did not apply equally to those as well.”

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A Māori-led methamphetamine recovery programme in Gisborne is being hailed as a global leader in addiction research and recovery.

He Haerenga ki te Whakaora, run by Mātai Medical Research, combined clinical science with mātauranga Māori to support people recovering from methamphetamine addiction.

The programme had successfully helped participants achieve sustained abstinence and Senior Research Associate Wendy Mohi said it’s the result of a collective commitment to embracing the knowledge of two worlds.

“Te ao Māori ensures wraparound support for the entire whānau and helps maintain a broader focus on physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.”

Participants were given access to advanced MRI imaging, psychometric testing and cognitive assessments administered by neurological, cardiological and psychological experts.

“With MRI scans whai ora (participants) see for themselves the impact meth use has on their brain and heart. There are specific areas of the brain impacted and there’s a kind of shading and deflation where the damage is. “

Mohi said access to such valuable technology and expertise also helps identify underlying health issues that need to be considered.

“As they continue on their abstinence journey, they can literally see the damaged areas of their brain and heart start to recover and it’s a huge motivation for them.”

Meth use remains high

The latest national data shows methamphetamine use in Aotearoa has risen sharply since 2024, with Māori disproportionately affected compared with non-Māori.

National wastewater testing data from police was released in March which estimated 34.7 kilograms of methamphetamine was consumed each week across the country during the final three months of 2025.

Mohi, a former police sergeant, said she saw firsthand the destruction methamphetamine caused and the gaps in long-term support.

“There are services out there, but not enough – and too many work in isolation. Rehab clinics get people clean, but they’re often sent back to the places and people that fostered their addiction with no ongoing support.”

‘World leading’ research

Sarah Helm, Executive Director of New Zealand Drug Foundation, said the research underpinning the programme is groundbreaking.

“It’s world leading – and it potentially turns how we view drug use and addiction on its head.”

Helm said the programme was attracting international attention not just for its results, but for the way it combined science with culture.

“To have a little kaupapa Māori research outfit in Gisborne leading the way globally is staggering.”

She said the programme’s strength lied in integrating clinical science with mātauranga Māori rather than treating them as competing approaches.

“It’s the combination that’s proving more effective.”

ADHD link emerging

Helm said the programme was also enhancing understanding of the impact undiagnosed or untreated ADHD could have on addiction treatment.

“Because they are treating the person, not just a condition, they’ve helped long term meth users with ADHD achieve sustained abstinence.”

Mohi said most whai ora in the programme’s initial cohort were diagnosed with ADHD

The ongoing study has found people without access to medication or diagnosis were often using meth to treat the symptoms they’re experiencing.

“They weren’t using meth to get high or get a buzz, they were using meth to maintain the energy to function normally.”

Helm says there is very little research available that explores ADHD and its potential connection to addiction.

“If there are health reasons for people using substances, we can offer them a better approach.”

Research from the first cohort showed sustained abstinence and stronger reconnection with iwi, whānau and the wider community.

Treaty partnership in practice

For those behind the programme, the outcomes reflect what meaningful partnership under Te Tiriti o Waitangi could achieve.

Both Mohi and Helm said systems designed without Māori partnership often miss critical aspects needed for long-term recovery.

Helm said community response to the programme had been overwhelming.

“We’ve been met with resounding confirmation – this makes sense to people.”

For Mohi, the programme’s impact goes beyond the data.

“Once they know who they are, there’s no stopping them.”

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The Waitangi Tribunal has heard of the violence directed at Māori women in public positions including online abuse, stalking and threats of physical violence.

The tribunal has been hearing from wāhine in leadership roles this week as part of the long-running Mana Wahine inquiry – which is examining the alleged denial of the inherent mana of Māori women and the systemic discrimination, deprivation, and inequities experienced as a result.

Among those giving evidence on Thursday was Green Party MP Tamatha Paul, who spoke of how she has been a public figure her entire adult life and had become desensitised to the violent comments she receives and was only reminded that it was not normal when her family was exposed to it.

“My partner picks me up and drops me off to everything because he doesn’t trust that someone won’t be waiting for me outside of my workplace because of everything that’s happened to me and it’s a tremendous sacrifice that he makes.”

Paul said when she was in local government the violence she experienced happened mostly online; since moving into Parliament, that violence had become real.

“The nature of the violence that I experience is not casual, it’s not someone being mean to me because they don’t like what I say and they don’t like my views. These are people who have fallen victim to extremist ideologies about women and about Māori.”

Paul said people with a fixation on her have attended public events with the intention of speaking with her.

“I’ve had messages from a person who showed up to one of my public events and told me that he was waiting by the bathrooms for me, [for] that whole event for me to go to the bathroom.

“And what happens in these situations – and they’re not just one, they are many – is that these people are referred on by Parliamentary Services to the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre, and one solution I’d like to put to the Tribunal for consideration is that this centre needs to be better resourced.”

Paul told the tribunal she wanted to put an emphasis on the experience of rangatahi.

“We live in a completely different world and I think in order for the recommendations of the tribunal to be enduring they need to consider the world that future mana wahine will live in.”

A long-runninginquiry

The Mana Wahine Kaupapa Inquiry is one of the Waitangi Tribunal’s kaupapa or thematic inquiries which deal with nationally significant issues affecting Māori as a whole.

It stems from a claim originally lodged in 1993 by 16 prominent Māori women leaders, including Dame Whina Cooper and Dame Mira Szaszy.

The central question in the inquiry is the alleged denial of the inherent mana of wāhine Māori and the systemic discrimination, deprivation, and inequities experienced as a result. Four pou frame the inquiry: rangatiratanga, whenua, whakapapa/whānau, and whai rawa.

In 2018 the chairperson of the tribunal formally initiated the Mana Wahine Kaupapa Inquiry and appointed Judge Sarah Reeves as the presiding officer, with Dr Robyn Anderson, Dr Ruakere Hond, Kim Ngarimu and Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith appointed later as panel members.

The tribunal conducted a range of initial hearings beginning in 2021, to provide a tūāpapa (foundation) for the wider inquiry.

Hearings continue at the Tribunal on Friday.

‘If you’renot visible your experiences tend to get averaged out’

The tribunal also heard from University of Waikato professor of demography Tahu Kukutai on Thursday, who spoke about gaps in high-quality statistics about wāhine Māori.

Data was a tool of power and was absolutely indispensable in the modern world, she said

“Data makes visible groups and statistics, if you’re not visible your experiences tend to get averaged out or hidden in broader population data, so we become all women, or we become all Māori rather than wāhine Māori.”

Kukutai said there was an urgent need for Māori data sovereignty and advocated for the implementation of the Māori Data Governance Model which would see Māori data, including data about wāhine, in Māori hands.

“Data is power and I think that’s never been more true than now. And that would fundamentally mean rewiring those power relationships and vesting authority in Māori, and I think agencies will find that hard, but one of the useful things about the model is it provides a clear pathway.”

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A group of Hawke’s Bay rangatahi have developed their own set of guidelines for healthy eating and backed it up by creating and starring in a social-media campaign to disseminate the guidelines.

Two studies have been published describing the creation of and campaign promoting the Manaora Rangatahi Guidelines for Eating and Wellbeing, as well as demonstrating the strengths of co-designing guidelines for young people with young people.

Professor of population nutrition and global health at the University of Auckland Boyd Swinburn told RNZ healthy eating guidelines for children and young people, which were developed in 2012 and last updated in 2015, are in the process of being updated by the Ministry of Health.

“Eating guidelines they seem like they have like an educational role, that they are helping people to guide them to what’s healthy to eat and what’s not and that is true, but they are also quite powerful policy instruments.

“So once you have a set of agreed eating guidelines that flows on into things like… the school lunches program, what’s able to be advertised, what’s able to have health claims and so on.”

The studies were part of the Nourishing Hawke’s Bay: He wairua tō te kai project and Swinburn said he and co-author professor David Tipene-Leach felt the current guidelines were pretty old, formal and didn’t resonate with young people.

He believes that co-design is the way the go, with rangatahi providing their input and experiences with the support of experts who provide the scientific knowledge.

“When it comes to converting them into messages that are going to be picked up and understood and thought about by the target group you have to involve those people to whom you’re targeting it just doesn’t make sense any other way.”

Seventeen rangatahi from four schools in Hawke’s Bay took part took part in three noho marae (marae stays) developing draft guidelines and comparing them against other guidelines from New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Norway and USA.

“They critically appraised these different guidelines based on what seemed relevant to them, they were quite taken with the Mexican guidelines actually because the Mexican guidelines had an invitational approach,” Swinburn said.

After the first noho marae the draft guidelines were put to the test during the next school term with students gathering feedback from their friends and fellow students, he said.

“It wasn’t only eating guidelines, we started out with eating guidelines but they wanted to have wellbeing guidelines which included sleep and physical activity and cyber safety and all that sort of thing, so this expanded into 10 eating guidelines and 10 wellbeing guidelines.

“Our first goal was to try to get some guidelines together and when they came together and when we tested them and tweaked them we were thinking these are fantastic, these are way better than any others that we’ve seen.

“I was totally enthused by these guidelines because they were rich and they had Māori constructs in which were holistic and anyway I thought they were beautiful and I thought okay we’ve got to get these out there we can’t just do these and put them on the shelf.”

Swinburn said the students took the lead on the social media campaign, guiding the researchers on how to share the information, how it would look and which Māori influencers they wanted to work with.

“[The rangatahi] put in a huge amount of their own knowledge and expertise and understanding of their peer group to be able to say ‘this is what’s going to resonate, this is what’s going to have an effect, no that won’t work, that’s useless, they don’t understand that’ and so they were really quite clear about what the ways to disseminate these guidelines were.”

Their campaign achieved more than 1.48 million impressions and more than 19,000 engagement actions, at a total cost of NZ$125,000.

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Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, the Māori queen, has met with Prince William at Windsor Castle in London.

They discussed “a range of global topics”, a post on the Kiingitanga Facebook page said.

“Te Arikinui affirmed her belief in the power of indigenous knowledge and intergenerational stewardship to help solve the world’s environmental and social challenges.

“During the visit, Te Arikinui also attended a celebration of rangatahi who have improved their lives with support from The King’s Trust Aotearoa New Zealand, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.”

A pleasure to meet with Māori Queen Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po today at Windsor Castle. pic.twitter.com/ILFeMSmDqX

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) May 12, 2026

Kiingitanga said she was “following in the footsteps of her tūpuna and continuing eight generations of engagement with the British Royal Household”.

Prince William also posted about the encounter on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, saying it was “a pleasure”.

Te Arikinui was elected queen in 2024 following the death of her father, Kīngi Tūheitia.

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The government is pushing on with conservation reforms it says cut red tape and enable fees for foreign tourists visiting New Zealand’s premium natural areas.

The opposition warns it opens up 60 percent of the conservation estate to sale, and changes how current treaty settlements are interpreted.

The Conservation Amendment Bill passed its first reading supported by the coalition parties, and opposed by the opposition – 68 votes to 54.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka – who called it the most significant reform to conservation law in 40 years – said it was about modernising the management of conservation land and supporting economic growth.

The bill enables international visitors to be charged a levy for access to some areas of conservation land, with the minister saying those details would be worked out at a later date.

“Yes, we are going to charge foreigners to go on some tracks around the country,” Potaka told Parliament.

“Conservation and economic development do not sit in opposition to one another all the time. Done properly they can support one another – that’s what we believe in.”

The bill also makes changes to how concessions – permissions for tourism and other operations on conservation land – are managed; enables “amenity areas” where buildings like toilets or potentially eateries could be established; simplifies planning in line with the Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms; and amends or clarifies how Treaty Settlement and Takutai Moana rights are upheld.

Labour’s conservation spokesperson Priyanca Radhakrishnan warned it would also open up 60 percent of conservation land to being sold, including areas home to species considered ‘at risk’ rather than endangered – like the Lewis Pass beech forests.

She said it went far further than modernisation.

“It’s a sneaky, egregious bill that goes so much further, it is the most significant rollback of conservation protections in a generation and it puts commercialisation over conservation. And that minister should be ashamed.”

The Greens co-leader Marama Davidson was similarly outraged, saying the coalition had chosen to put profit over the environment – particularly given the $135 million in cuts to the Department of Conservation during this term.

She said it would also put more power in the hands of ministers, while reducing independent and public oversight.

The ACT Party’s Cameron Luxton argued the changes would prioritise people.

“For too long, New Zealand has had a conservation system that often treats people as the problem. It has treated a new track, a new hut, a new wharf, a better facility … or a business who’s looking to provide an experience, as something suspicious before it’s even been considered.”

NZ First’s Andy Foster welcomed the faster processing of concessions and the new Treaty clause, saying rather than removing the existing clause “which would have been quite good in our view, I think, is to interpret what this means”.

“As I read it, it says ‘you are going to engage’.”

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi warned however it would have a chilling effect on those yet to reach a Treaty settlement, describing the bill as another part of the coalition’s “ram raid” on conservation.

“This demonstrates a blanket lack of good faith, and only adds to the iwi Māori suspicion of the Crown’s ability to act with honour,” he said.

“Amending settlement legislation cannot be taken lightly – how can this government believe it can amend any legislation regarding Te Tiriti o Waitangi when it continues to fail to uphold it?”

Potaka, however, was adamant the government remained committed to honouring settlements and good-faith negotiations.

“We want to be clear, the wording of section 4 is not being changed,” he said.

“This bill provides greater certainty about what it means, and of course members of the opposition know there is no veto – that’s what the Supreme Court said and that’s what this government says.”

The bill’s first reading came the same day the coalition announced it would override the Supreme Court, which had agreed a lawsuit challenging companies’ climate records under tort law could go ahead.

In a move the activist taking the case – iwi leader Mike Smith – called “an affront to democracy”, the government now planned to ban such cases.

After the bill’s passage, the next piece of legislation up for debate was the second reading of legislation that would abolish the Ministry for the Environment, so the government could merge the department into the new MCERT (Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport) mega-ministry.

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Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi says she’s putting aside difficult experiences within Te Pāti Māori to move forward with her new political party.

The MP was expelled from Te Pāti Māori last year, before the High Court ruled her suspension and expulsion was unlawful.

Kapa-Kingi was reinstated to the party in March, but had now decided to contest the 2026 election under a new banner, called Te Tai Tokerau.

She told Morning Report her experience in Te Pāti Māori was “not great”, but she wanted to move through that scenario to focus on her new party.

“At a certain point it just seemed it was, not for me.

“It’s put aside now and I’m excited about what we’re to create or setup despite that experience.

She said knew how the system did and didn’t work for Māori and wanted to let people know Te Tai Tokerau had its own voice.

Te Tai Tokerau was standing with an independent and regional mindset, she said.

Kapa-Kingi said she could not speak for Te Pāti Māori’s Oriini Kaipara or Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke on whether they would potentially join her.

Kaipara confirmed her loyalty to Te Pāti Māori earlier on Tuesday after conflicting statements were made by her spokesperson to different media outlets

In a social media post, Kaipara said she wanted to “correct the narrative” that was reported on Monday evening by Stuff that she was “still considering options” in response to a question asking if she would stay with Te Pāti Māori (TPM).

“I confirm that the comments claiming to be mine are not. I did not and have not spoken with any reporter on this matter,” Kaipara said on social media.

Speaking to RNZ, Kaipara’s recently appointed communications advisor confirmed she would not be following suit and was committed to running for TPM.

The spokesperson said he made a mistake by telling Stuff that Kaipara said she was “considering options”.

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author:lillian_hanly]

Oriini Kaipara has confirmed her loyalty to Te Pāti Māori after conflicting statements were made by her spokesperson to different media outlets, as the party announces it will make a formal complaint.

In a social media post, Kaipara said she wanted to “correct the narrative” that was reported on Monday evening by Stuff that she was “still considering options” in response to a question asking if she would stay with Te Pāti Māori (TPM).

“I confirm that the comments claiming to be mine are not. I did not and have not spoken with any reporter on this matter,” Kaipara said on social media.

It comes after Mariameno Kapa-Kingi announced she was quitting to start a new party, named after her electorate Te Tai Tokerau.

Speaking to RNZ, Kaipara’s recently appointed communications advisor confirmed she would not be following suit and was committed to running for TPM.

The spokesperson said he made a mistake by telling Stuff that Kaipara said she was “considering options”.

Kaipara’s social media post later emphasised she remained a “committed member of Te Pāti Māori, committed to Tāmaki Makaurau, and committed to making this a one term government.”

Earlier on Monday, following Kapa-Kingi’s announcement, a statement attributed to Kaipara was circulated to some media.

This acknowledged Kapa-Kingi’s announcement, and Kaipara’s commitment to Tāmaki Makaurau, including a clear understanding her electorate crosses through Te Tai Tokerau and Hauraki-Waikato.

She said she naturally worked closely with Kapa-Kingi and Hauraki-Waikato MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, “this will not change.”

Stuff later reported Kaipara “says she is considering leaving Te Pāti Māori, and could join another party ahead of November’s election”.

RNZ sought confirmation from Kaipara’s communications advisor, who explained the statement provided to Stuff had been a mistake.

Kaipara’s clarification on social media came through late Monday evening, in which she also said she would make no further comment on the matter.

Te Pāti Māori also issued a statement late on Monday evening, to “correct an inaccuracy in Stuff and ThreeNews reporting”.

The statement said it was “incorrect” a reporter had said they had had a conversation with Kaipara.

“Oriini confirms she has not spoken with any Stuff reporter, and any comments attributed to her are not hers.

“For the sake of accuracy, we ask that this be corrected across all relevant media sites as soon as possible.

“We will be making a formal complaint, as the reporter misled our co-leader during the interview. We also request an apology from Stuff and ThreeNews.”

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Wairarapa iwi Rangitāne are putting the final touches on it’s new papakāinga development in the centre of Masterton, with tenants expected to move in within the month.

On Friday, there was an early morning karakia at the site of the papakāinga Te Manawaroa o Kuki Rimene, named after the late Edward Cooke Rimene, known to many as Kuki, a respected kaumātua in the region.

The development has 10 two-bedroom units across three buildings, with each building taking the name of local landmarks – Hīona, Kaitekateka and Māiriiri-Kapua.

The units are designed as affordable rentals at 20 percent below market value and, perhaps uniquely for a regional city like Masterton, one of the buildings – Māiriiri-Kapua – is a two-storey building, with three units on each floor.

Mere Kerehi is one of the new tenants who will move in within the next month. Her connection with Rangitāne and ‘Uncle Kuki’ was very special, she said.

“I’ve always worked with Uncle Kuki, right back in the, you know, early 1970s at the marae,” she said, “We’ve been trustees together for our marae and I’ve shared that journey with Uncle Kuki for all these years.

“Everything that happens in the community and the journey’s here, so I can see it [as] a nice end to a story, a neverending story mind you.”

Mere said being close to whānau was special about the papakāinga, a place where she knew everyone and where everyone helped each other.

“It’s like being on our marae, you know,” she said. “How good is that?

“It connects us to our marae, Te Oreore, Rangitāne, Kahungunu.”

Daughter Dany Haira said Mere would move out of the family home of 63 years to take up a spot at the papakāinga.

“It’s just a little bit much for mum,” Haira said. “She won’t let any of us come and move in with her, [but] I think a three-bedroom whare with a quarter-acre section and a creek is a little bit much for mum now.

“She’s 86 and this opportunity came up, so it was like, ‘Wow, mum, let’s see how we go’.”

Haira said the move would improve her mother’s quality of life – a smaller, more manageable whare, but one where she wouldn’t be alone and would have whānau for neighbours.

Suni Brown works at the Rūnanga of Rangitāne o Wairarapa, but also contributed his carpentry skills to build one of the whare.

There’s always been a big call for more housing from all people of Wairarapa and, with homeownership out of the reach of some locals, Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā trust was in a position to put a project of this kind together, with funding support from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

The development was never aimed at any single group and there are a good mix of tenants, including a few rangatahi who would move in, he said.

“Kaumātua of our iwi have definitely had preference,” he said. “Secondly, goes to our people who are registered with Rangitāne and the applications have been steady.

“Talking with our whanaunga now, all our units are full, just a couple of bits and pieces left to do.”

As soon as the karakia was over, there were already a few calls asking about the next papakāinga, he said.

“This will definitely add to the growing number of Māori – not just in our iwi, but across the board – that are moving to Masterton.

“Masterton’s a beautiful place. It’s easy to get to, it’s quiet.

“Our coasts are just, you know, 40 minutes from some of the best fishing around.”

The blessing of the papakāinga happened on the same day and in parallel with another important event for Rangitāne o Wairarapa – the opening of the Tino Rangitānetanga Iwi Exhibition at Masterton’s Aratoi Museum.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Documents filed with the Waitangi Tribunal have revealed the proposed changes which would set government obligations to the Treaty to no higher standard than to simply “take into account” across nine Acts.

Senior Lecturer in Law at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University Luke Fitzmaurice-Brown (Te Aupōuri) told RNZ the impact of the draft Bill could be as big as the Treaty Principles Bill.

“The effect of what’s being done in limiting all these Treaty clauses to ‘take into account’ could have just as damaging effect on the legal weight of Te Tiriti as the Treaty Principles Bill would have. It’s more technical and so it’s kind of harder, I think, to see through some of the smoke screen of that.”

Practically “take into account”, as opposed to stronger wording such as “give effect to”, would mean Treaty obligations would only be one of a number of considerations for decision makers, he said.

“The other option, which Paul Goldsmith seems to be ignoring, is to say, actually, in all contexts, it should have a higher weight. It should have a higher consideration, like ‘give effect to Te Tiriti.’ So the effect would be to limit, to put a ceiling on the weight that Te Tiriti can be given in any given context, and put a very low ceiling on that.”

The draft Bill stems from the coalition agreement between National and New Zealand First which agreed to conduct a comprehensive review of all legislation that includes ‘The Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi’, and replace all such references with specific words relating to the relevance and application of the Treaty, or repeal the references.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said over the last 20 years, Parliament had passed a range of laws with all manner of references, sometimes being very vague about what they meant.

Reviewing these would ensure Treaty references were specific and consistent with one another, in the interests of increasing certainty and supporting compliance, he said.

“Some Acts are being reviewed through other processes, and all existing full and final Treaty settlements are being excluded.

“The Advisory Group has completed its review and provided the Government with a variety of recommendations.

“As a first step, the Government has agreed to amend two references to be more specific, and repeal a number of references elsewhere.

“The Government has also agreed a reference to both the Treaty of Waitangi and te Tiriti o Waitangi is preferable and should be used in all relevant provisions going forward.

“We are now consulting with Iwi leaders before introducing legislation. It will also go through a full select committee process where all New Zealanders can have their say, including Māori.”

The Acts in question

A letter dated 2 April, signed by ministers Paul Goldsmith and Shane Jones, to the National Iwi Chairs Forum Pou Tikanga co-chairs Professor Margaret Mutu and Aperahama Edwards set out Cabinet’s decisions on which Acts would be affected by the draft Bill.

Five Acts would have provisions referring to Treaty principles repealed:

• Education and Training Act 2020
• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2000
• Land Transport Management Act 2003
• Organic Products and Production Act 2023
• Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990

Two Acts would have provisions consolidated and redundant aspects repealed:

• Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998
• Plant Variety Rights Act 2022

Two Acts would be amended to make Treaty Provisions “more specific”:

• Data and Statistics Act 2022
• Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996

The letter was one of a number of documents released to the Waitangi Tribunal as part of an urgent inquiry into government changes in education, including the proposed removal of Treaty clauses in the Education and Training Act.

The difference between Treaty principles and clauses

Fitzmaurice-Brown said there was a long history of New Zealand courts saying that Te Tiriti was not in and of itself legally binding on government, going as far back as the famous Wi Parata v The Bishop of Wellington decision in 1887 where Chief Justice James Prendergast declared the Treaty to be a “simple nullity”.

That attitude changed slightly in 1941 in a case brought by Ngāti Tūwharetoa Ariki Hoani Te Heuheu Tūkino VI to the Privy Council in London which found the Treaty had some legal effect but only if it was written into legislation, he said.

“It overruled the old law, which completely diminished Te Tiriti, but it still placed this limitation on needing to put references to Te Tiriti in other legislation to give it any teeth and that kind of still stands. And so we still have this rule that for Te Tiriti to have any legal teeth, it needs to be referenced in other legislation first, rather than what we could do and just say Te Tiriti itself is directly enforceable.”

Fitzmaurice-Brown said Treaty clauses were all those provisions in law that tolf decision makers exercising any sort of statutory authority how to take into account the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Those provisions and the different ways they were worded were how much weight the Treaty was given in any given situation, but the Treaty principles, which the Treaty Principles Bill would have changed, had been developed in laws and in the courts over many years and included rangatiratanga, partnership and active protection among others, he said.

“All of those things are the substantive content of what the Treaty relationship entails and these Treaty clauses are slightly different. They take those substantive things and they say, here’s how much weight you have to give those in any given decision. So, do you have to just kind of have it as one of many considerations, or do you have to really prioritise those, or do those have to be the bottom line?”

Fitzmaurice-Brown said there was a bigger question underlying the debate over this draft Bill, that was the place of Te Tiriti in New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements.

“I’m not sure we need to keep upholding this idea that Te Tiriti itself is not directly enforceable anymore. I think we’ve taken this compromise approach for the last 50 years, really, where actually it’s far more obvious to many people now that Te Tiriti or Waitangi itself is our founding document, should have that constitutional weight, and should be able to be directly enforced by our courts, as constitutional documents are in any other country.”

The draft legislation is not expected to be introduced to the House before early August 2026.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

The National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF) says the government has breached its Waitangi Treaty obligations to consult with Māori in proceeding with legislation that would weaken treaty clauses across a range of laws.

In a joint letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones, the forum said it opposed “in the strongest possible terms, both the proposed legislative amendments and the process which has been followed to date”.

“The failure to engage with iwi and hapū is a direct breach of the crown’s Te Tiriti obligations, the very matter this process is supposedly seeking to clarify,” the letter read.

Goldsmith wrote to the forum’s Pou Tikanga co-chairs, Professor Margaret Mutu and Aperahama Edwards, on 2 April, providing an update on cabinet’s decision to proceed with a draft bill, setting out that no higher standard than “take into account” should be used to indicate the strength of the crown’s treaty obligations.

The letter invited the NICF to provide written feedback by 24 April and noted that the “select committee process will otherwise provide a sufficient opportunity for those with interests to have their say”.

The forum responded with the joint letter on 22 April, calling on the government to immediately withdraw the proposals, and meet with the NICF to “discuss and agree on a Te Tiriti compliant process by which improvements to relevant statutes are progressed”.

Both letters were released to the Waitangi Tribunal as part of its urgent inquiry into the removal of school boards’ legal obligation to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, although the tribunal expanded the scope of the inquiry to include the proposed removal of other treaty references in the Education and Training Act.

Professor Mutu told RNZ before the release of the joint letter that the NICF had been asking since November 2023 to be included.

“We have struggled to get information out of the government as to what it is actually doing and we are a treaty partner, and yet they’re doing all of this change unilaterally,” she said.

Mutu said “take into account” is the “weakest possible form” of obligation to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

“Take into account simply means, well, you can have a look at what the principles might be and then you can ignore them.

“It’s effectively a mandate for those who are implementing the various pieces of legislation to ignore the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, so it is a huge shift.”

Luxon confirmed that he had seen the forum’s letter, but said the government would push forward with the legislation.

“The intent of this legislation is to make sure that we have very specific treaty clauses in there that pertains to legislation, so we’re actually clear on our obligations to each other.”

The government would continue to uphold treaty settlements, but the proposed legislation would address a “lack of clarity” in current law, he said.

Goldsmith didn’t agree that the government had breached any treaty obligations.

The proposed legislation was part of an ongoing conversation and consultation, he said.

“There are many points along the way that cabinet decides these things, we’ve made some initial decisions and now we’re going to draft legislation, that will go off to the parliament and select committee. There’s many opportunities for a discussion.”

Goldsmith said he planned to meet with the NICF soon.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

The mother of a detained New Zealander is calling for the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), Winston Peters to help her daughter.

Everlee Wihongi was entering her third week in US detention after being detained in an ICE processing centre in California. The Wihongi family, who had lived in the US for three decades, were returning to the United States following a family holiday in Aotearoa.

Betty Wihongi said they didn’t even consider they may have an issue at the border as most of the family were naturalised American citizens and Everlee Wihongi holds a Green Card.

Betty Wihongi said she was separated from Everlee Wihongi at the airport and waited for seven hours before receiving a call from her distraught daughter. Everlee explained there was an issue with a historic charge and she was being sent to an ICE processing centre.

Everlee had a historic conviction for possession of marijuana that had been dealt with more than 10 years ago.

Inside an ICE facility

Betty Wihongi told RNZ’s Mata she was terrified for her 37-year-old daughter, who was sharing a room with 46 others.

They were confined to the room for 22 hours a day, one side of the room was bunks and the other side was tables. She said they ate and slept in the same room.

Everlee Wihongi believed she was the only person there with a Green Card.

Betty Wihongi said there had been a lack of support from MFAT, and she wanted Winston Peters to intervene.

“Step up and do more,” she said.

“One, do something about Everlee, there has to be something the New Zealand government can do, and two train your people… because the help we are getting is not the best”.

NZ government responds

When contacted by Mata, the office of Peters, said “this is a consular matter, and the ministry is dealing with it. The minister is being kept updated on those efforts.”

When asked if Peters would respond directly to Betty Wihongi’s appeal, the office said “the message had been relayed” but said it must go through consular channels.

A spokesperson said “the minister is being kept informed and trusts the professionalism and effort that our Embassy/consular staff are providing”.

But Betty Wihongi said there was little support. No one had visited Everlee Wihongi in detention, they had not received any support in finding a lawyer and when her daughter finally got through on the phone, she claimed the staffer asked her “what do you want me to do about this?”.

The spokesperson for Peter’s office said there were aspects of the case that could not be shared for privacy reasons.

Betty Wihongi and her daughter, want to know what the aspects of the case are and believed they had been open about any past transgressions.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs responded to Mata, in a statement, it said:

“While the New Zealand government is unable to influence the immigration decisions of other governments, MFAT continues to provide consular assistance to the family of a New Zealander detained in Los Angeles.

“The type of support available in these situations includes ensuring that New Zealanders have access to legal representation, advising family, and engaging with detention facilities where that is needed. For further information on how consular cases are supported please visit Safe Travel: You have been arrested or jailed.

“For privacy reasons, we are unable to comment on the details of any individual case.”

The move to the US

Three decades ago when Everlee Wiohngi was six-years-old, the Wihongi family moved to Wisconsin, her father who works in rail was recruited by US-based Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation after NZ Rail Limited was sold for $328 million in 1993.

They had traveled back to Aotearoa numerous times and had a strong connection here and to the Cook Islands where Betty Wihongi had ties.

She said they were continuing to pay Everlee Wihongi’s rent and bills but had no idea what the future held.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Proposed legislation reducing decision-makers obligations to no more than “take into account” Treaty obligations won’t be introduced before August.

Closing submissions took place on Tuesday in the Waitangi Tribunal’s urgent inquiry into the removal of school boards’ legal obligation to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, although the tribunal expanded the scope of the inquiry to include the proposed removal of other Treaty references in the Education and Training Act.

Evidence submitted to the tribunal showed that, on current timeframes, proposed legislation that would require decision-makers to “take into account” Te Tiriti, rather than “give effect” to it would not be introduced to the House before early-August 2026.

Legislation is expected to be introduced before this year’s general election.

The Crown memorandum also identified nine provisions of the Education and Training Act 2020 that were in scope for the proposed Bill.

It follows a review of all legislation, with the exception of Treaty settlements, that includes ‘the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi’ which was part of the coalition agreement between NZ First and National.

The [urgent inquiry, which was brought by Ngāti Hine, Te Kapotai and the country’s largest education union NZEI Te Riu Roa, heard evidence over three days on the removal of school boards’ legal obligations and a planned reset of the national curriculum.

NZEI Te Riu Roa President Ripeka Lessels said the disclosure in the Crown memorandum confirms the government is attempting to erase Te Tiriti from education despite unprecedented opposition from more than 1840 school boards and education sector leaders.

“By removing Te Tiriti obligations from the Act, the government is marginalising ākonga Māori and leaving teachers without the essential framework needed to address longstanding inequities.

“This is a clear breach of Te Tiriti principle of partnership that should define our schools, undermining the hard-won progress made by educators.”

By lowering the legal threshold to ‘take into account’ Te Tiriti, the government is effectively telling ākonga Māori and their whānau that their rights are secondary considerations rather than a high priority, she said.

“To push this change through despite the Ministry of Justice’s warnings proves this is a purely ideological move. It will roll back decades of progress in dismantling the systemic disadvantage faced by ākonga Māori. We will not stand by while the rights of our ākonga are stripped away as part of a coalition agreement.”

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New research is looking to examples from the past to inform how marae might relocate and rebuild in the face of sea level rise and other natural hazards brought on by climate change.

University of Waikato PhD graduate Dr Akuhata Bailey-Winiata (Tūhourangi, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Tutetawha) told RNZ many existing adaptation options, processes and frameworks don’t consistently account for the cultural significance of marae.

Drawing on the whakataukī “Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua – I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past,” he looked back through history for examples of marae or communities being relocated.

“So we found 51 examples of where hapū and iwi had either discussed relocation or had actually done relocation of the communities, marae structures in response to natural hazards. But I want to preface is that 51 examples just came from the written record and I know that that is just the tip of the iceberg. There’ll be so many more examples through pūrākau, oral histories.”

History clearly shows that for Māori communities adapting to natural hazards isn’t a new thing, he said.

“We know this, but sometimes we kind of forget that we have adaptation in our whakapapa. So I guess bringing it to the forefront was like, okay, yep, we’ve done this before, we can do it again if it’s the right choice for us.”

One of the examples highlighted a personal connection in Bailey-Winiata’s whakapapa, the relocation of Tūhourangi iwi following the 1886 Tarawera eruption.

“Tūhourangi is one of my iwi I whakapapa too and I got to interview some of my kaumātua, some of my whānau, just to understand, you know, what did that process look like? What were the enablers of their specific process? Some enablers were land gifting, perspectives of land and infrastructure… and autonomy in decision making. So really the decision making power was with that hapū level. And again, that’s just one example there’ll be many more.”

The PhD research also involved working with hapū groups on adaptation planning. Bailey-Winiata worked with the Maketu Iwi Collective to develop their climate change strategy and with Tauranga hapū Ngāi Tamawhariua, with both groups sharing insight on how the went about adaptation planning.

Inisghts from wānanga with Māori who are currently assessing climate risks to marae informed the creation of framework to decision-making for marae facing sea level rise and other climate risks.

The first part of the framework is based on partnership and uses a waka hourua (double-hulled waka) model to illustrate the concept. Bailey-Winiata explains that each hull of the waka represents tangata tiriti and tangata whenua, it has two sails: one for Western knowledge and one for Mātauranga Māori.

But the waka is heading one direction, reflecting how climate change affects everyone, he said.

The waka hourua model is now in use by the recently launched Aotearoa Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP) and Bailey-Winiata is part of a project that has received funding from Earth Sciences New Zealand to further develop the concept.

Seeing ASAP take a piece of his mahi and roll with it has been a privilege to see, he said.

Major protects to relocate marae are underway across Tairāwhiti after flooding from Cyclone Gabrielle, including two marae in Te Karaka inland of Gisborne, three marae in Ūawa Tolaga Bay, and two more north of Napier in Hawkes Bay.

Bailey-Winiata said these rebuild projects will offer some insight into the intricacies of contemporary relocation.

“The marae that are having to undergo it currently, I think there’s a great opportunity there to explore, you know, what did their process look like? What were the considerations that they were thinking about when they were making the decision to move? And what were the intricacies behind that? Because I think that’s going to shed a huge light and provide examples of how others can go about it.”

Bailey-Winiata was awarded his PhD at Waikato University’s Tauranga campus earlier this month, he also received the University’s 2026 Koko Kairangi Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis, in recognition of the impact of his research.

It’s been a humbling experience to receive the award and a good chance to go back and reflect a bit on the whole journey, he said

“I think this is common for many PhD students at the end, I think they’re a little bit traumatised by the whole thing, so they don’t want to think about it. But now being able to reflect it’s quite cool.”

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