Have your say on the Treaty Principles Bill!

Caritas strongly opposes the Treaty Principles Bill. We believe Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides a strong moral basis for our country, and the Bill distorts its meaning and undermines the rights guaranteed under the treaty. We invite all people of goodwill to have their say on this issue, as it affects all New Zealanders.

Find out more about Te Tiriti o Waitangi 

Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the foundational document of New Zealand, and the Catholic Church has had a relationship with the Treaty since 1840. Caritas has produced a resource explaining the Church’s position on Te Tiriti, grounded strongly in Catholic history and teaching:

We strongly encourage all Catholics to read the resource and consider its relevance to the current discussions of the Treaty Principles Bill, so that we may answer the call “to be active and informed contributors to the current debate and constructive builders of structures of harmony and grace.”

You can also read our article explaining why we disagree with the Bill.

There is an ongoing campaign by the interdenominational group Common Grace to provide information from a Christian perspective on Te Tiriti. We have supported their work to ensure the Catholic viewpoint is represented, and encourage all individuals or communities who are looking to learn more or be more involved to engage in their campaign.

Have your say to the select committee 

Caritas has prepared a submission template for those wishing to have their say directly to parliament, with a grounding in our values of Catholic social teaching: