We Say No Way: Methodists Respond to Treaty Principles Bill

The Treaty Principles Bill, a government bill promoted by David Seymour of the ACT NZ Party to define the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, has generated significant controversy in Aotearoa. It is no surprise that Methodist people and parishes have participated in a range of activities and initiatives opposing the Bill, speaking against injustice and honouring a Covenant that affirms and respects the rights of tangata whenua.

Church leaders and representatives were amongst the 42,000 people who joined a hikoi protesting the Bill that concluded at Parliament grounds in November 2024. 

Numerous individuals and parishes have also acted by writing and presenting submissions to the Justice Select Committee.  The 300,000 submissions received far exceeds the previous record number of 107,000 submissions for the Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill in 2021.

Burn the Bill, Not the Sausages

Garth Nowland-Foreman, Aldersgate Parish Steward, reports on how their parish responded to the Bill.

Background

Wesleyan missionaries, including John Hobbs, Samuel Ironside and John Warren, took an active role in encouraging Māori chiefs to sign Te Tiriti. They envisaged Te Tiriti as a way of protecting the rights of Māori, and of protecting their land, forests and fisheries.

In 1840, the Methodist Mission at Māngungu hosted a signing event where 64 rangatira added their signatures to Te Tiriti. This was the largest number to sign at a single event. The involvement of John Hobbs as interpreter was influential and, although many Māori had considerable reservations about signing, some were persuaded when they sought the view of the missionaries.

Unfortunately, Te Tiriti has not always been honoured and the Crown has not always protected tangata whenua (indigenous) rights. In the years immediately following Te Tiriti being signed, missionaries like John Whitely and Thomas Buddle were also actively involved in representing Māori interests in land and worked to get the letter and the spirit (the principles) of Te Tiriti adhered to in the face of Crown breaches and settler pressures.

The Methodist Church therefore has a special responsibility as a result to honour the faith the signatories placed in our missionary forebears and today continues to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the founding document of our nation. In 1984 the Methodist Church committed itself to a bicultural journey, which is based on power-sharing and the foundation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

As the early Wesleyan missionaries were compelled to speak up in defence of Māori rights and interest in land and other taonga, when honouring Te Tiriti was threatened, so too, we conclude we have the same sacred duty today - as inheritors of this legacy.

The Aldersgate Response

On New Year's Day, nine members and friends of Durham Street Methodists in Christchurch Central gathered for no ordinary BBQ. There were sausages and chicken kebabs, but the main purpose of the event was to brief ourselves on the Treaty Principles Bill, and support each other in writing submissions to the Justice Select Committee. More than 12 individual submissions came out of this session, and everyone who participated was better informed as we all shared insights on the Bill and its intentions. 

In addition, the Parish Council unanimously authorised a separate submission that expressed our deep concern at what we saw as the flawed and dishonourable process by which the so-called 'principles' were developed, with the resulting damage already done to Māori-Crown relations and in undermining social cohesion, and with the highly inaccurate and misleading content of the 'principles'. We opposed the Bill and recommended it not proceed. We recommended the Crown should design and implement a process, in partnership with Māori, to undo the damage to Māori-Crown relations and to restore confidence in the honour of the Crown. 

On Waitangi Day, the biggest ever contingent of Durham Street people and friends (20-25) marched in the Ōtautahi Waitangi hīkoi that journeyed from Victoria Square to New Brighton pier, though not everyone was able to walk the entire 9 kilometre trail.

Christchurch Methodist Mission appears before Parliament.

Christchurch Methodist Mission, also put in a submission and was chosen to appear before the Select Committee on the first day to make an oral submission.

The Select Committee was subsequently divided into two sub-committees to hear more submissions.  Despite this, only a small proportion of the 15,000 who requested an oral submission will appear before the Select Committee.

You can watch the appearance before the Select Committee of Jill Hawkey (CMM Executive Director) and Dr Jane Higgins (CMM Strategic Advisor)

https:/www.mmsi.org.nz/News/CMMs-Submission-on-the-Treaty-Principles-Bill and presentation at https://vimeo.com/1050592185.