By Mike Bain/cvnznews.com
ACT leader David Seymour is claiming credit for what he calls a “major step” toward clearer and more consistent Treaty law, after the Government confirmed it will amend or repeal Treaty‑principles clauses in 19 pieces of legislation.
Seymour took to X with a rapid‑fire list of Acts where Treaty references will be removed entirely — including the Education and Training Act, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, the Smokefree Environments Act, and the Crown Pastoral Land Act. He also highlighted a second group of laws, such as the Resource Management Act and Conservation Act, where Treaty clauses will undergo further review.
“This is a major step toward clearer laws, greater consistency, and equal treatment under the law,” Seymour posted. But he also argued the changes don’t go far enough, saying that even requiring agencies to “take into account” Treaty principles “leaves room for activist interpretation.”
“In a free and equal society, the meaning of constitutional principles should be decided by Parliament and understood by all New Zealanders,” he said.
Minister of Justice
The social‑media victory lap came minutes after Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith released the official announcement, confirming Cabinet has agreed to amend 19 Acts following a review promised in the National–NZ First coalition agreement.
Goldsmith said the goal is to bring consistency to decades of varying Treaty‑principles wording — from “honour” to “have regard to” to “give effect to” — and to ensure the law is predictable and clear.
“The Government has agreed to amend two references to be more specific, repeal seven references, and specify that no higher standard than ‘take into account’ should be used across ten Acts,” Goldsmith said.
He also confirmed future legislation should reference both the Treaty of Waitangi and te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Goldsmith stressed that full and final Treaty settlements are excluded from the review, and that iwi consultation and a full select committee process will follow.
The announcement again highlights the internal dynamics of the three‑party Government: National delivering the formal policy, NZ First shaping the scope, and ACT publicly pushing for deeper reform.
Seymour’s message was clear — today’s changes are progress, but in his view, the job is far from finished.
