Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Calls for allowing late submissions for Treaty Principles Bill

Te Pati Maori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says many people submitting on the Treaty Principles Bill had never done so before. 

The Justice Select Committee is meeting today to discuss accepting late submissions after people reported technical issues with the Parliamentary website, ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
The Treaty Principles submission saga continues this morning. The Justice
Select Committee will meet and ponder weather to extend the deadline,
which closed at midnight on Tuesday. Issues have been raised
around Parliament with website crashing forcing submit submissions to be
missed to Party MARI co leader Debiing Wha Paka joins
me in our ciora. Good morning, So what are you

(00:39):
expecting from the Justice Select Committee this morning?

Speaker 3 (00:43):
Well, I'm expecting that rational people will meet and come
up with a very quick solution. These clearly hundreds of
thousands of submissions we're getting notification and it's unpredadiced, so
we've got to assume that the numbers up in that level.
So I think we need to give provide certainty to

(01:05):
all New Zealanders that there has been the submission timelines
will open up again and those who are probably like
shiver thousand who have contacted me in the last twenty
four hours and will have the chance to submit with confidence.
And I think that's the biggest issue here, that the
trust and confidence has certainly been broken in how people

(01:26):
can actively participate in these sorts of processes.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
What do you think so many people left it to
the last minute.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
I think, first of all, we've got to remember the
context is that there hasn't been a lot of time given.
And I don't know about you and your family, but
for us, we've been going through the process of trying
to help people who have never submitted submit before. And
then you sort of come skidding into the end of
the year. You've got family and have arrived, you're hosting,

(01:53):
and we've also had one of the largest tonguey that
we've ever had in Aultiedtle. So I think there's just
been a host of everyday, you know, situations that have
hit people at this time of year, and the fact
that there's clearly a lot of interest in it. Good thing,
but there wasn't a lot of time and normal people
from Parliament weren't at work to be able to answer questions.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
So you'll be pleased you're on the same page as
Hobson's pledge on this one bit of solidarity.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
There yea even I think you can sort of say,
even at the party modern actor on the same page.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
Wow, let's celebrate that moment.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
Shall we just on this process? But you know, and
the fact of the matter is that we need to
make sure that you know this has been a huge
issue for Mary, but it's a huge issue for all
New Zealanders and we need to make sure that you
know that we can have trust and confidence at the
cost cuttings. The rushing isn't costing us our ability to

(02:49):
be able to participate, and I think that's the real
issue at stake here.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
Do you think people who didn't try to submit should
still should get extra time to submit as well?

Speaker 3 (02:59):
I think there should be And you can remember there
were two recommendations made to the Select Committee, the seventh
of January or the fourteenth, and the seventh was was chosen.
I think all those that and we've got a huge record,
which is why we asked them to let us know
should be able to submit full stop. And look, I
just think that they should have moved quicker, that they

(03:21):
should have been more certainty provided and there's just this
long period of silence from Parliament just creates more anxiety
and suspicion.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
In what way are you helping people to make submissions?
Are you sort of helping them say with the content.
Are you just helping them.

Speaker 3 (03:38):
With the process? No, I think, but there's a whole
lot of bureaucracy and uncertainty around you for a bill
that's me to be David saying will provide certainty. But
the fact of the matter is that people didn't even
know what submissions were. They didn't know how to get
on to the page to do it. So I think
that's one of the great things about this is that

(03:58):
we're able to use our influence and platforms to say
here are templates. Is simple. You know what matters to you,
what matters to your family, what matters to your community.
How do you think this will affect you? And so
I think there's been a really great effort to be
able to get people to participate. Remembering these another three
or four bills that have got short turnaround times as well.

(04:19):
This has sadly been real criticism of ours and the
government is that there's been real rush and there's a
real aggression to get things done, and we need to
take our community to take the reason of new dealing
with us.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
Do you guys tell you people, the people who are
submitting that you're in contact with, do they actually get
a chance to actually read what the clauses are.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
Yeah, I mean I think they they And that's the
big part of it is that people aren't going to
sit there and listen to politicians and then understand it.
You actually need to break it down into language that
long you understand that comarth were that business people understand
and then really reflect on what that means to you

(04:59):
and the impact that has and what you want to
write about. And I think that is a very lengthy
process and a lot of people who didn't get in
with a those who had been facilitating, leading and helping
others be able to put it all together. It's huge.
It's like a PhD for some everyone has a lawyer
in their pocket.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
Well, you've got to get on your homework earlier. Thanks
deb And that is Debbie Naruapaka. That's a party Mari
co leader for

Speaker 1 (05:26):
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