It’s no surprise that Māori activist groups don’t like ACT’s proposed bill to formalise the language of the Treaty of Waitangi. But the bill is not the biggest problem for Māori. Not by a long shot.
The Treaty is one of the worst-written legal documents of all time. It is truly embarrassing. The British Crown certainly didn’t rise to its characteristic worship of accuracy when it wrote New Zealand’s founding document. It is vague where it should be clear, and it is expedient where it should be forward-thinking. It is more of a mythic tale than a lesson in sovereignty.
