When the Coalition Government announced they would introduce the divisive and harmful Treaty Principles Bill, rangatahi group Whiria from Ngāti Whakaue launched a petition on OurActionStation. Led by Maringi James, the petition called for the bill to be stopped, and He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi to be entrenched in our constitution.

“It is obvious today that the current Government has an agenda to diminish the unique place of Māori in relation to the Treaty, by trampling on its mana. The introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill is a transgression against Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy, the promises afforded in Te Tiriti.” - excerpt from the petition, full text here.

When the Treaty Principles Bill (now officially called the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill) was introduced to Parliament on 7 November, the petition grew quickly. Once the Hīkoi began, signatories increased like wildfire. Hīkoi mō te Tiriti arrived at Parliament Grounds on Tuesday 19th November. Maringi James, supported by ActionStation Director Kassie Hartendorp, handed over the 203,653 strong petition to Te Pāti Māori MP, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke.

Who signed the petition given to Parliament?

• 154000+ Māori
• 72,000+ Rangatahi
• 135,000+ Tangata Tiriti

These numbers tell us that people across Aotearoa do not support political attacks on Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

At the time of publication the petition has over 291,000 signatures, making it OurActionStation’s biggest petition since we launched the site in 2016 and the second biggest in Aotearoa’s history.

We want to give a huge mihi to Maringi James and the whole Whiria crew for the leadership to start this petition and all the mahi they have put into growing and delivering it. We also want to mihi to everyone who signed, shared and contributed to this historical moment.