John,

It’s always a privilege to be welcomed back to Waitangi alongside the Labour team. This year it feels more important than ever.

Today, 185 years after The Treaty of Waitangi was signed, we have a Government that is actively undermining it.

I stood and listened to the thousands that marched to Parliament last year to protest against the Treaty Principles Bill. What I heard was decades of hurt and pain. I heard the struggle to retain what te Tiriti promised.

We’ve made progress towards equity for all who call New Zealand home, but there is still so far to go. Today, Māori still face loss of language, racism, inequitable access to services, and worse health and education outcomes than non-Māori.

I believe it is possible for New Zealand to embrace a society in which te reo is valued and ways of doing things by Māori for Māori are resourced and celebrated. An Aotearoa where all of us can work in partnership together, participate together, and thrive.

I want to reaffirm Labour’s commitment to upholding the relationship between Māori and the Crown that was formed on February 6, 1840.

Last year, the Prime Minister said he would uphold Te Tiriti. He has not. This year, the Prime Minister is not even at Waitangi.

Despite kicking off one of the most divisive debates on race relations in our lifetimes, Christopher Luxon has chosen not to front up on the ground where the Treaty was signed.

We can be better than this. We can come together, celebrate the opportunities in front of us and recommit ourselves to a fair go for all. We can continue to front up to the wrongs of the past and put them right.

To me, that’s what Waitangi Day is all about. It’s a chance for us to reflect on the significance of this day and our collective journey ahead, with hope for the future.

Labour will continue to call out this Government’s weak and divisive behaviour. Because we can do better – and every year Waitangi Day reminds us why we must do better.

Ngā mihi

Chris




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