Te Pāti Māori vows major constitutional reform by making Te Tiriti binding for Crown
Te Pāti Māori has announced a policy platform focused on constitutional reform, including making the Treaty of Waitangi binding on the Crown. The party proposes an independent commission to enforce Treaty obligations and increase the power of the Waitangi Tribunal.
Why it matters
This proposal represents a significant shift in New Zealand's constitutional framework and indigenous rights policy, sparking debate over the role of the Treaty in modern governance.
Te Pāti Māori is promising major constitutional reform by entrenching Te Tiriti o Waitangi into lawmaking and binding the Crown to honour it, if elected.
The party would set up an independent Te Tiriti Commission with power to investigate Treaty breaches by the Crown, make Waitangi Tribunal recommendations binding, and set a 2040 target for constitutional transformation.
They also want to set a $220 million Mātike Mai Fund over four years to resource constitutional reforms and properly implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) within their first 100 days in power.
The Mātike Mai Fund would be used to set up and resource an independent Mātike Mai secretariat, fund Māori-led "constitutional kōrero" across the country and begin a Māori Constitutional Convention to facilitate formal talks with tangata Tiriti, local government and the Crown.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in