[3] ACT's proposed law and referendum would affect co-governance arrangements at several Crown Research Institutes, state-owned enterprises and healthcare providers such as Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority).

[30] In response, Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith described ACT's proposed co-governance referendum and policies as being motivated by racism and reflecting a "Pākehā" unwillingness to share power.

Similarly, Waikato leader Rahui Papa claimed that ACT's co-governance policies clashed with the second and third articles of the treaty which (he argued) guaranteed Māori participation in the social sector.

which proposed a new Treaty Principles bill that would end the focus on partnership between Māori and the Crown and interpret "tino rangatiratanga" solely as property rights.

[27] After the formation of the Sixth National-led coalition government, the National and New Zealand First parties agreed to support the legislation up to the select committee level while ACT dropped its demand for a referendum (although it remains in the draft under public consultation).

[34][35][36][37] The Waitangi Tribunal found that "the Crown had breached the Treaty principles of partnership and reciprocity, active protection, good government, equity, redress, and the article 2 guarantee of rangatiratanga.

Seymour claimed the memo was a "natural reaction" from a bureaucracy that had "presided over increasing division over these issues", but stated the Ministry of Justice was not biased in its advice.

This campaign includes the creation of a new website called "treaty.nz," which has a Questions and Answers section outlining the party's approach to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and a video featuring Seymour.

ACT leader Seymour also confirmed that the legislation would mention hapū (sub-group) and iwi (tribal) rights to tino rangatiratanga (self determination) and property ownership in Article 2.

[53] The following table summarizes past and scheduled events:[54] On 14 November, the Treaty Principles Bill passed its first reading despite opposition from the Labour, Māori and Green parties.

[55] During the debate, Labour MP Willie Jackson was ordered to leave by Speaker Gerry Brownlee after refusing to withdraw a comment accusing ACT leader Seymour of lying about the Treaty of Waitangi.

[57] On 10 December, House Speaker Gerry Brownlee referred Hana-Rawhiti, Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Labour MP Peeni Henare to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee for their role in the haka that disupted the first reading's vote.

[62][63][64][65][66][67][68] However, the Ashburton District Council declined to make a submission, with Mayor Neil Brown citing "the likelihood of a wide range of views within the community on the Bill.

[78] Former Labour MP and cabinet minister Kiri Allan denounced the bill as an "abomination", arguing that it sought to erase Māori from New Zealand history, law and their lands.

[80] Sam Murton and Jo Lambert of the New Zealand Council of Medical Colleges argued that legislating for equality, rather than equity, would lead to poor health outcomes.

[78] University of Auckland economist Ananish Chaudhuri supported the Bill, arguing against separate health and educational systems on ethnic lines based on comparisons with India.

[81] Liz Davies from SociaLink, a charitable trust operating in western Bay of Plenty, said the bill threatened healthcare provision in underserved communities.

[81] Kaea Tibble, age 23 of Poupatatē Marae spoke on behalf of young people and thought that proponents of the bill were gaslighting their supporters about Crown-Māori relationships.

[81] Former race relations commissioner Gregory Fortuin said the relationship between the Crown and Māori was worse than when he was in office from 2001–2002 and the bill would damage New Zealand's international standing.

[81] Tasha Hohaia echoed the theme of international relations and spoke about attending a recent UN conference on indigenous issues where New Zealand was widely seen as regressing.

[81] Merita Levave, a teacher at Newlands College, gave a presentation and when finished, her students in the background stood up, tore up pieces of paper representing the bill, and shouted "Toitu te Tiriti".

[81] Murray Hawkes, from the oil and gas industry, supported the bill arguing that New Zealand currently has a corrupt and unattractive regulatory environment "because of the ambiguity and the need for preference towards Māori, there are demands of race-based payments at every step".

[84] On 15 May, the Tribunal heard testimony from University of Auckland Māori Studies Professor Margaret Mutu, who described ACT's Co-Government Policy Paper as "nonsensical" and a misinterpretation of the Treaty.

[34] In November 2024, New Zealand Prime Minister and National Party Leader Christopher Luxon said of the bill: "We don't support it because we think it is divisive, and you know, we're proud of the Treaty of Waitangi.

[88] During the annual Ratana celebrations in late January 2025, both Luxon and NZ First leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters reiterated that their parties would vote against the bill at its second reading.

Green MP Teanau Tuiono and Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer called on the coalition government to scrap the bill.

[36] On 13 November 2024, 40 King's Counsel lawyers wrote a letter to Prime Minister Luxon and Attorney-General Judith Collins urging the National-led coalition to withdraw the bill on the grounds that it "seeks to rewrite" the Treaty of Waitangi.

[94][95] The New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) argues, from an education sector perspective, that the bill "threatens progress made in revitalising te reo Māori and promoting Māori culture in schools", "risks misrepresenting the original Tiriti and white-washing our histories", and will "deeply affect the ability" of the public and professionals to "interpret Te Tiriti" going forward.

[107][108] The haka and hīkoi in opposition to the Bill has also gained the support of singer Lorde, Chris Martin of Coldplay, and actors Jason Momoa and Octavia Spencer.

[111] On 16 November, Brian Tamaki led a convoy down an Auckland motorway as a counter protest to the nationwide hīkoi, supporting the Treaty Principles Bill.