Treaty bill hearings will cast a long shadow

More than eight hours of submissions were heard yesterday – and that's just the beginning.

Mōrena, and welcome to The Bulletin for Tuesday, January 28.

In today’s edition: Asset sales debate reignited, aid funding for Kiribati under review, and the aftermath of the Mangawhai tornado is examined. But first, more than eight hours of hearings yesterday kicked off consultation on the Treaty principles bill.

A long day at parliament

Welcome back, it’s a short week for me – I hope those in Auckland enjoyed the extra (blustery) day off. While us in Tāmaki Makaurau got a day off, it was business as usual in the capital as parliament prepared to resume. The Spinoff’s Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Joel MacManus spent eight hours sitting in on the first day of oral submissions on the controversial Treaty principles bill – “the most anticipated select committee hearing parliament has ever seen”.

Though the proposed law, put forward by Act’s David Seymour, is destined to fail, the government has opted to give it the full select committee process before it heads back to parliament later this year. The Act leader was given the first speaking slot on the bill, reported The Post’s Kelly Dennett, comparing his bill to other controversial issues through history that have ultimately become law, including homosexual law reform and end of life choice. “Once you have an idea that relates to emancipating people and freeing them from systems that oppress them, by giving some privilege to one group at the expense of another, which the partnership principle most certainly does, then eventually the tide for human freedom, the tide that people will want to join... that idea will eventually succeed.”

As Waiwiri-Smith and MacManus reported, the first day of hearings included appearances from former ministers, lawyers, Treaty experts and iwi representatives. Among them former Treaty negotiations minister Chris Finlayson, who criticised the proposed bill as a case of “much ado about nothing”, and former National MP Marilyn Waring, who said the bill was “based on the old approach that pretends that everybody’s born equal and that people can have the same treatment regardless of differences”. Those in support of the bill included a Conservative influencer and two members of “The Listener seven”.

‘Largely procedural’

In her report for ThreeNews last night, Jenna Lynch described the day’s events as “largely procedural” and going off “without a hitch”. For a bill that triggered the largest protest in the country’s history, the first day of oral hearings didn’t generate the fireworks some may have expected – though Lynch noted there were a few additional security guards in place at parliament just in case. Many of yesterday’s speakers were opposed to the bill, but that won’t be the case across the entire select committee process. There is a long road ahead. More than 80 hours of oral submissions have been scheduled over the next month, alongside scrutiny of over 300,000 written submissions. Newsroom Pro’s Laura Walters reported (paywalled) that external consultants have been contracted to analyse those written submissions, at an undisclosed cost expected to be in the “hundreds of thousands”. Walters said this isn’t unheard of when there is a high number of submissions, though the use of additional resources for a bill that has no chance of becoming law has raised eyebrows.

National tries to hold the narrative

Though the prime minister has repeatedly assured that the Treaty bill will not become law, it has nevertheless become an unwelcome thorn in the side of Christopher Luxon. The bill’s select committee hearing is likely to dominate discourse this week and, with Waitangi Day, the next. The Herald’s Claire Trevett wrote (paywalled) over the weekend that Luxon’s challenge is now to draw attention back to himself and his party, especially given the first polls of the year have brought bad news for National. That’s going to be particularly challenging given the amount of public interest in issues the prime minister doesn’t want to talk about, the Treaty bill included. “The problem with coalition partners is that every time they say something or set out a position, it results in a never-ending stream of questions for the prime minister on where he sits,” wrote Trevett.

The reshuffle and state of the nation last week were a first attempt by the prime minister at controlling the narrative and picking up as much airtime as possible. An announcement yesterday aimed at enticing overseas “digital nomads” to boost the economy was significant, but it was still overshadowed by the Treaty bill on both 6pm news bulletins.

What the year holds

I don’t know about you, but it feels like a lot has happened in the two weeks since The Bulletin has returned. Given this is the middle year of the coalition’s term, the government will be expecting to make significant headway on a range of issues in order to be in a good place to seek reelection in 18 months. The Herald’s Derek Cheng (paywalled) had an excellent look ahead at what’s on the agenda, and where tensions may be found between the three coalition parties. As we’ve talked about previously, much it will focus on building the economy, whether it be through luring more foreign investment, a long-planned overhaul of the Resource Management Act or pushing ahead with “fast-track” projects. Writing for The Spinoff this morning, former Green MP Gareth Hughes argued that we should be focused as a country on the “quality of economic growth”, rather than the quantity. “We’ve chased economic growth for decades and the way we’ve gone about it has come at great cost,” he wrote. “New Zealand’s unswimmable rivers, toxic mine sites, migrant exploitation and precarious, unsatisfying, low-paid jobs are testament to this fact.”

Have thoughts? Join the conversation in the comments.

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The asset sales debate is reignited

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has accused the prime minister of softening his stance on privatisation, reported RNZ’s Giles Dexter. Christopher Luxon has consistently maintained asset sales won’t be on the table during this term of office. However, Act leader and soon-to-be-deputy PM David Seymour told party faithful on Friday that New Zealanders needed to “get past squeamishness” about privatisation. Since those comments were made, Luxon reiterated there would be no wholesale asset sales this term but said he was open to a broader discussion in the future. The Herald’s Thomas Coughlan (paywalled) wrote that privatisation is a risky move, especially for a government that polls would suggest has struggled to maintain popularity.

More reading:

• Public Service Association calls on Luxon to rule out privatisation (RNZ)

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We revealed that only 2% of our audience support us financially and shared the real need to double the number of members who support us with monthly or annual payments.

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Aid funding for Kiribati under review amid strained relationship with NZ

1News’ Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver exclusively reported last night that diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Kiribati have hit an all time low. The government has put an aid programme under review amid failed efforts to secure a meeting between foreign minister Winston Peters and Kiribati president Taneti Maamau. As Dreaver reported, Maamau pulled out of a pre-arranged meeting with Peters last week, with a senior government source describing this as a “diplomatic affront”.

More reading:

• Other countries reportedly facing challenges organising high-level visits to Kiribati (PMN)

• Winston Peters says Western neglect of Pacific Islands let other nations boost their influence (AP)

Join us live in 2025

We have four fantastic live events in 2025. Join us in Auckland and Wellington for The Spinoff Live!

Auckland at Q Theatre: Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club Party, February 13 and Gone by Lunchtime Live, April 9.

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A short history of prickles, nemesis to New Zealand summer feet

Gabi Lardies explores the world of prickles and how stepping in the wrong patch of grass became a quintessential, if painful, Kiwi summer experience.

It’s OK to hate Onehunga weed because it’s not native – the plant originally comes from South America. Which makes it another classic New Zealand thing that’s not really ours, like flat whites, Sam Neill and good relationships between the state and indigenous people.

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Click and Collect

• Inland Revenue applies to liquidate radio host and businessman Nick Mills’ hospitality companies.

• Employer associations eager to see pro-rata sick leave. (BusinessDesk, paywalled)

• Mangawhai tornado leaves at least nine homes yellow stickered.

• If you missed it over the weekend, there is a new US ambassador to New Zealand appointed by Donald Trump.

• Two state of the nation speeches in two days from parties in government. National’s was optimistic; Act’s much less so.

• Commissioner recommends inquiry into judge’s disruption of NZ First function.

• Jacinda Ardern speaks to Deadline about her new documentary film Prime Minister, which premiered to positive reviews at the Sundance Film Festival.

Right now on The Spinoff

For Windbag, Joel MacManus examines Christopher Luxon’s culture of saying no to housing. Liv Sisson debates herself over whether big summer festivals have stopped being fun. Thomas Giblin shares what’s coming to streaming services this week. Gareth Hughes argues there are reasons to be sceptical about the prime minister’s push for economic growth. Liam Rātana looks at the end of emergency housing motels in Rotorua and asks whether the city’s accommodation problem has simply been shuffled around.

That’s it for this morning, thanks for reading. Catch you back here tomorrow.

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