The voting down of the controversial
Treaty Principles Bill has garnered the attention of
international media.
The bill – which sought to
redefine the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi – sparked a
nationwide hīkoi and received more than 300,000 written
submissions.
It was voted down in parliament on
Thursday, with only ACT supporting it proceeding
further.
CNN described the bill as a
“right-wing-backed proposal”, which went “viral” after video
was shared of Te Pāti Māori MP
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke tearing the bill in two before
leading a haka.
The Guardian said the bill had sought
to “radically reinterpret New Zealand’s founding
treaty”.
“Lawmakers voted down the controversial bill
on Thursday, drawing a line under a particularly strained
chapter in the country’s fight for Indigenous rights,” it
reported.
Australia’s ABC News noted there was
celebration in the chamber as the bill was voted down, from
both the floor and gallery.
“Throughout the session,
Speaker Gerry Brownlee tried to maintain control, scolding
members of the public and ejecting one man from the
gallery,” it reported.
International news agency
Reuters story on the bill was headlined, “New Zealand
parliament rejects controversial indigenous law”.
The
BBC reported the bill sought to “reinterpret New Zealand’s
founding document”.
“Members of the right-wing Act
Party, which tabled it, were the only MPs to vote for it at
the second reading on Thursday,” it
reported.
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