Chris Finlayson: Former Treaty Negotiations Minister on the low chances of the Treaty Principles Bill's survival

The troubled Treaty Principles Bill would appear to have virtually zero chance of survival. 

David Seymour says Cabinet discussed the Bill yesterday and made a few tweaks. 

Former Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson told Mike Hosking he thinks the bill will die a natural death.  

Asked whether it's possible Seymour could persuade people, he simply responded, "get a life".  

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has repeated this morning National MPs won't support the bill past the first reading. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In the ongoing mystery that is the Treaty Principal's Bill.
We got a whacky back and forward from the PM
yesterday that will deal with after seven thirty. But we
also seemingly got a change of wording from the architect.
Article two previously said apparently the New Zealand government will
honor all New Zealanders and the chieftainship of their land
and property. That's now going to be changed the former
Treaty negotiations. Minister Chrispin license with us. Chris, good morning

(00:20):
to you as a man who's been in politics and
now looks from some sort of distance, what do you
make of this whole thing it's as it's unfolded.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Well, I just think it's most unfortunate. Really. It takes
me back to when I was on my first term
in Parliament. Helen Clark and Michael Cullen agreed with Winston
that Walerton could introduce a donation of the principles of
the Treaty Bill and they supported it through the first reading.
I was on the Select Committee. It was rubbish, gibberish
really and died natural deaths and so I think this

(00:52):
one is destined to suffer the same faith.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Is this the problem? Does this go back to Christopher
Luxon in agreeing with it? And because you could if
we could see this unfolding the way it hats, couldn't we?

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah? Well, twenty years on from Doug's effort, where a
different country, and whereas people just yawned when New Zealand
Firsts Members Bill was introduced in two thousand and six.
I think it was people They've moved on such a
long way. This sort of thing aggravates people.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Okay, but what about the broad based argument that it's
worth a debate, that a debate is not to be
shied away from.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Well, I would have thought for the ACT Party, the
biggest debate that we should be having is how do
we not become an Argentina in twenty fifty And it's
tailor made for ACT to talk about greater productivity, less regulation,
a leaner, smarter government of other sorts of things David
should be concentrating on. That's why ACT was founded by

(01:49):
Roger Douglas.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Indeed, so this goes to Parliament, it heads off to
Select Committee. Your pick would be it dies at that
particular point. Well, and Simo's argument as he can persuade people.
Is that even slightly possible?

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Do you think I'll get a life?

Speaker 1 (02:04):
Good on? You're nice to talk to you, Chrispin Layson
for treaty negotiations, Minister. I like people that come on
and tell it like it is.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
news talks. It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.