The National-led coalition has only been in office for two months, but already its work around Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Reo Maori has prompted backlash across Aotearoa. 

Last Friday a Ministry of Justice paper was leaked warning the Government’s proposed legislation to define the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi could be “highly contentious”. 

Part of the document suggested this was due to the “fundamental constitutional nature of the subject matter” and “lack of consultation with the public on the policy development prior to select committee”. 

The leak also came on the eve of a national hui, organised by the Māori King, at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia to unify Māori and discuss the potential impact of the policies. 

Among the ten thousand attendees was University of Auckland professor of Māori Studies, Margaret Mutu. She joins us today on The Front Page to discuss what went down at the hui, what to make of the government’s plans, and the importance of the little known document He Whakaputanga. 

You can read Act leader David Seymour's argument about the bill here: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/act-leader-david-seymour-why-a-conversation-on-te-tiriti-o-waitangi-is-important-for-our-nation/IY4IMUEBEJDOXKG3HAHUJS3HAY/ 

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Host: Katie Harris
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

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