Maori Leaders Petition Head of State

The National Iwi chairs forum – more than 80 Maori leaders – has written to King Charles III, New Zealand’s head of state, asking him to intervene directly in New Zealand law-making to ensure that the NZ Government does not diminish “the crown’s honour” or threaten its integrity over what the leaders consider breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, the country’s founding document, negotiated between the Maori and the British Crown in 1841. This was seen as a powerful move, embarrassing for the New Zealand Government, even if the King does not respond. It is unusual for the foreign Head of State to be asked to directly intervene in the government and laws of one of his realms. A Greens Party representative said it was “disheartening iwi were having to remind the Crown of its commitments under the Treaty of Waitangi.” The protested proposed laws aimed at ending “race-based policies” are widely seen as removing advances made by the Maori since European settlement including use of language, reduced involvement in health policies and reinterpreting the Treaty of Waitangi. It is not clear if there is enough support in the parliament for the laws to pass. [“New Zealand opposition parties back Maori plea to King Charles” by Eva Corlett, The Guardian, 12 December 2024]