Te Pukenga Here Tikanga Mahi[JP1]  (PSA) has welcomed Parliament’s overwhelming vote to scrap the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, a move that the union says reaffirms the country's commitment to upholding Māori rights under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi).

The bill, introduced by the ACT Party as part of its post-election coalition agreement with two other parties – National and New Zealand First – sought to redefine the principles of the Treaty in legislation. This move the critics, including the PSA, said would have severely undermined Māori tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). The bill was voted down in Parliament by a margin of 112 to 11.

The PSA, New Zealand’s largest union, played a key role in mobilising public opposition to the bill. Thousands of PSA members joined the massive protest march on November19, 2024, where 65,000 New Zealanders gathered outside Parliament to call for the bill to be withdrawn. The union also submitted six oral submissions to the Parliamentary select committee through its Te Rūnanga o Ngā Toa Āwhina, which represents 11,000 Māori members among its 95,000-strong membership.

“This decision to vote down the bill reflects the overwhelming public opposition and the power of collective action,” said Janice Panoho, PSA Te Kaihautū Māori. “The PSA remains committed to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi and advocating for inclusive, just policies that honour the Treaty partnership between tangata whenua (Māori) and the Crown.”

The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840, is widely regarded as New Zealand’s founding document. However, its interpretation has long been contested due to the existence of two versions — one in English and one in Māori. Most of the chiefs signed the Māori-language version, which is the one recognised under international law.

The now-scrapped bill sought to legislate a narrow, restrictive definition of Treaty principles, which, according to Panoho, would have “misrepresented the true meaning of Te Tiriti, undermined Māori self-determination, and entrenched a limited interpretation of equality that ignores historical injustice.”

The bill’s introduction sparked an unprecedented public response. The select committee received over 307,000 submissions and heard from 529 oral submitters over 79 hours of hearings. Submissions opposing the bill came from across civil society, including iwi (tribe) leaders, legal experts, unions, the Human Rights Commission, the Waitangi Tribunal, and Tangata Tiriti (non-Māori allies).

“The process has revealed deep divisions not only in Parliament, but across the country,” said Panoho. “But it has also demonstrated the strength of solidarity among those committed to justice, equity, and the enduring promise of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

She concluded with a whakataukī (Māori proverb) that captured the spirit of collective resistance: "Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi." (With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive.)

The PSA reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to standing alongside its Māori members, iwi partners, and communities to ensure that Treaty rights are protected and government policies honour the foundational values of Aotearoa (New Zealand).