References to Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi (Strength of Legislative Obligations) Amendment Bill
This bill changes how the Treaty of Waitangi is mentioned in New Zealand laws. It aims to make sure that when a law refers to the Treaty, it clearly states what the government must do. This means future laws would need to be very specific about how they uphold the Treaty, rather than just generally mentioning it. It also removes some existing general references to the Treaty in current laws.
What this affects
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This bill changes how the Treaty of Waitangi is included in New Zealand laws, making sure any mention of it is very clear about what the government must do.
This Bill amends the Legislation Act 2019 to require that any new Act of Parliament that refers to the Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi must specify the nature and extent of the obligations created by that reference.
The Bill also amends other Acts to remove general references to the Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi.
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
Submissions open once a bill reaches the select committee stage and the committee calls for them. In the meantime, you can write to your local MP about it.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Politika’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Politika editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Politika is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.