The Green Party has launched a petition to stop the taking of Māori land under the Public Works Act.
“This is a real opportunity to stop any more unfair confiscations of what is left of whenua Māori,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw says.
The petition was launched at Rātana Pā as politicians converged for the annual celebration of the prophet T.W.Rātana.
“The work of Rātana was about honouring the Treaty of Waitangi, and we now have an opportunity to continue that work by putting in place legal protection for whenua Māori.”
Green Party MP, Catherine Delahunty, has drafted a Private Members’ Bill on the issue. It was drawn from the ballot in December and will be put before the House in March.
The Bill would amend the Public Works Act and put a stop to Māori land being acquired by a minister or local authority for public works.
The Green Party says compulsory acquisitions of Māori land cut across Article Two of the Treaty of Waitangi, which guarantees rangatiratanga. They say the Waitangi Tribunal has been clear that Māori have been discriminated against as a result of the Public Works Act.
The Bill would amend the Public Works Act to specifically protect Māori freehold and Māori customary land from being acquired. This would mean that no Māori land can be taken without consent.