The ACT Party has launched an "information campaign" in support of its contentious Treaty Principles Bill — pledging to "restore" the meaning of the Treaty to "what was actually written and signed in 1840".
The bill was a lightning rod for controversy amid the anniversary of the Treaty's signing this week.
At Waitangi, Seymour was met with protest, with activist and former MP Hone Harawira among those taking aim at the bill during speeches by saying "you and your shitty-ass bill are going down the toilet".
"On Monday at Waitangi, the ACT caucus stood up to defend a basic value: that every child growing up in New Zealand deserves the same respect and dignity, including equality before the law," Seymour said in a statement, launching the campaign today.
"This belief is a core principle – or kaupapa – for ACT. It’s a belief shared by most New Zealanders, including Māori.
"And it's a principle that has the backing of our nation's founding document, with Article Three of Te Tiriti promising the same rights and duties for all New Zealanders."
He announced a new website, treaty.nz, as the first step in the campaign.
The site — with the Waitangi flagstaff as its lead image — is headlined with the slogan: "The same respect and dignity for all."
Seymour said: "Our belief in unity and equal rights underpins the Treaty Principles Bill. This law will unwind the divisive modern 'partnership' interpretation of the Treaty and restore its meaning to what was actually written and signed in 1840."
That's despite coalition partner and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressing the view that the Treaty created a relationship between Crown and iwi "akin to a partnership".
National has agreed to support the bill to its first reading in its coalition agreement with ACT, but said it has "no intention" to support it further.
Seymour said today's announcement is about giving Kiwis "the facts".
He said the opposition had claimed they wanted to re-write or abolish the treaty. "This is false"
"In short, the Bill defines the Treaty principles – which have so far been interpreted without input from New Zealanders – to align with the three Articles of Te Tiriti.
"Te Tiriti is a taonga that promised equal rights for all. By restoring the mana of original text, the courts and bureaucracy will no longer be able to twist our founding document to justify divisive co-governance, special government positions, and separate public services."
Today's statement from ACT echoed its longstanding call for a referendum on the Treaty's application, saying there could be one if the bill progresses past the initial stages.
Critics of the bill include opposition parliamentarians.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has accused Seymour of purposely trying divide New Zealand, while outgoing Labour MP Kelvin Davis said at Waitangi that his party will continue to fight the Pākehā Government "spiders".
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