Horse delivers petition to Parliament as details of contentious Treaty reference bill drop

Protesters on horses are outside Parliament to bring attention to their petition – signed by more than 52,000 people – calling for the Government to halt policies the group believes diminishes Te Tiriti.

At least 100 people – including politicians and Māori wardens – have gathered outside Parliament.

Police and security guards are at the front entrance gates and fences have been erected.

The Herald understands Te Pāti Māori negotiated with Speaker Gerry Brownlee to allow one horse on to Parliament grounds during the protest.

In the hour before the group’s scheduled arrival, Parliament released the text of the bill behind Government’s Treaty reference review, which in some instances includes repealing references and replacing the wording.

The just-released copy of the bill reveals terms such as “uphold” or “honour” would be replaced with “takes into account te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi”.

The changes are in several pieces of legislation, including mental health and education spaces.

Brownlee is responsible for the Parliamentary precinct, including enforcing rules during demonstrations. Vehicles are not allowed on Parliament’s grounds during protests.

The Herald understands the group wants to try to ride horses on to Parliament to ensure their hīkoi has maximum impact.

From 11am, several gates leading to Parliament were closed to vehicles.

The Ngāti Kahungunu-led group, which left Waimārama Marae in Hastings on Friday, comes armed with a petition titled: “Do not remove or amend Te Tiriti principles or references in legislation”, with more than 52,000 signatures.

Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi chairman Bayden Barber leads the horse trek through Havelock North on the way to Parliament. Photo / Jack Riddell

The demonstration is expected to be the last Māori protest at Parliament before the House rises in two weeks for the election, bookending a term marred by frequent protests from parts of Māoridom against the Government’s agenda.

Ministers Paul Goldsmith and Tama Potaka said they would try to meet protesters today, dependent on their schedule.

“They could have just picked up the phone; they didn’t have to ride all the way from Hastings,” Goldsmith said.

“We certainly hear their point of view and they are very perfectly welcome to protest as much as they like. But there has been lots of consultation around this and there will be more to go.”

Potaka said there had been “a lot of genuine concern, a lot of kōrero and wananga” about the issue the group was protesting against.

“A part of that democratic process is to have a petition and bring those concerns to Parliament.”

The group, via its petition, is urging Parliament to reject proposals to remove, amend or redefine references to Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi or its principles in legislation, and ensure legislative or constitutional changes affecting the Treaty involve genuine consultation with Māori and the public.

The Treaty references review, part of NZ First’s coalition agreement with National, is to repeal clauses in earmarked legislation or replace or amend them with more specific wording.

The hīkoi to Parliament crosses Waipukurau bridge.

Goldsmith said the coalition Government did “not agree or accept” that these bills weakened Treaty obligations.

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

“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.”

Vehicles and animals have featured in several past protests. In 2003, National MP Shane Ardern was told off by Speaker Jonathan Hunt after he drove a tractor up Parliament’s front steps.

During the same farmers’ protest against the flatulence tax, National MP Lockwood Smith led cows on to the Parliament steps. One left its mark on the stairs, the Herald reported, to the crowd’s amusement.

Smith later became Speaker of the House from 2008 to 2013.

During the 2003 foreshore and seabed hīkoi, which led to the birth of Te Pāti Māori, Prime Minister Helen Clark controversially opted to meet with famous merino sheep Shrek rather than protesters who had rallied at Parliament against her Government’s marine and coastal area act changes.

The Ngāti Kahungunu-led hīkoi is rallying against government policy they believe threatens the integrity of Te Tiriti. This includes the NZ First-led treaty reference review and sweeping RMA reforms.

For example, Waikato-Tainui argues that pausing river protections in place of the RMA changes breaches the iwi’s landmark settlement.

The Ngāti Kahungunu horse trek in Hastings on its way to Parliament. Photo / Jack Riddell

Ngāti Kahungunu chairman Bayden Barber said when farmers were upset, they protested with their tractors. Horses, for Ngāti Kahungunu, were a symbol of tino rangatiratanga.

“We, as tangata whenua – the people of the land – will take our horses to the steps of Parliament so that our message is crystal clear: protect Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

“We want to send a message to this Government that we are serious about protecting Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the founding agreement of this country. Not only to this Government, but whoever is there come November 7.”

The group also hopes to prompt Māori, particularly young people, to vote in the election.

“If our young people can ride their horses from Waimārama to Pōneke, then surely our whānau can get along to the polling booth and vote.

“This is the most important election for this country, especially for Māori, in our generation.”

Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.