National is calling on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to reveal where she stands on the report Labour commissioned, which proposes separate Maori authority across multiple layers of government and discusses constitutional change, such as a Maori Parliament.
National has obtained a full, unredacted version of He Puapua – a report commissioned by Cabinet in 2019 that sets out a roadmap to co-governance between the Crown and Maori by 2040.
Unredacted copy of He Puapua by Juana Atkins on Scribd
The report proposes a Maori Health Authority, separate court and justice systems, Maori ownership over the foreshore and seabed, Maori wards in councils and constitutional reform to consider matters such as a Maori Parliament or Upper House for New Zealand.
He Puapua has never been publicly announced but a number of recommendations, such as the Maori Health Authority and Maori council wards, have been implemented already without any acknowledgement from Ardern that they are part of a wider plan, Ms Collins says.
“If He Puapua is implemented in its entirety, New Zealand will cease to be a democracy in which all people have equal representation, and would instead operate as a two-system state.
“The Prime Minister needs to explain why Labour has been busy implementing He Puapua’s recommendations one by one without sharing this wider plan with New Zealanders.
“Jacinda Ardern should rule out a Maori Health Authority and tell us where she stands on giving Maori governance over natural resources and ownership of the foreshore and seabed.
“National’s position is clear. We will not accept the implementation of two systems by stealth.
“We support targeted programmes based on need, such as Whanau Ora, but dividing our country along racial lines when it comes to running core services is a step too far.
“National is the party of equality and believes that ethnicity or race should not divide us. We are better together.
“We need to have a national conversation about this before it goes any further – an honest, respectful and open debate where every voice is heard. It cannot be snuck through.”
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