Duncan Webb: Labour's Justice spokesperson says all Treaty Principles Bill submissions deserve to be heard

A somewhat unexpected stance on the Treaty Principles Bill from Labour's Justice spokesperson.

Parliament's Justice Committee is reporting the Bill back to the House tomorrow - a month earlier than anticipated. 

This means thousands of submissions won't be considered, with not enough time to get through them all. 

Duncan Webb says although he disagrees with many submissions - they still deserve to be heard. 

"I don't like this bill - I hate it, I want it gone. But if we're going to invite people to have their say, that's a critically important thing."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Just gone twelve minutes after five later's not happy. The
Justice Select Committee has finished work on the Treaty Principal's
Bill a month early. It's apparently going to deliver its
report tomorrow. It means some submissions will be left on
the cutting room floor because staff haven't got time to
read the bill read them all, I should say, Duncan
Webstey just a spokesperson with me tonight.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hi, Duncan, good to be here.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
So first you said this is the most dangerous debate
we could be having. Now you want it to go longer.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, look, if we're going to have it, I think
parliamentary process doing things right is so important. I don't
like this bill, I hate it. I want it gone.
But if we're going to invite people to have the
essay there's actually that's the critically important thing, then we
should give them that full opportunity. And I saw boxes

(00:49):
of submissions that hadn't been processed, that no one had
the opportunity to read unless they went and rifled through
the boxes themselves, like I did before. We were back
to the house, and we've still got five weeks on
the clock. We didn't have to have it reported back
at all.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Yeah, But why do you want it to go on
for so much longer? If it's so dangerous and divisive?
I don't understand. Wouldn't you want this thing to be
wrapped up and done and dusted and out of everyone's hair?

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Well? Because when I went down and looked at those
submissions that hadn't yet been processed, there were handwritten submissions
from old people. There were intermediate schools with colored drawings.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Now they know is it dangerous or not? That doesn't
sound very dangerous to me. That sounds actually quite healthy.
That sounds like a democracy. Were you wrong to begin with?

Speaker 2 (01:33):
Duncan at least get least get the distinction? Right? I
believe in democracy, which means that everyone.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
You did when this process started, did you because you
said it shouldn't have happened.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
The bill should not have happened. The bill is divisive,
so irresponsible. It was irresponsible to introduce it. But once
you start the parliamentary train rolling, you don't stop it
halfway down the track. You let it run its course.
And what what the government parties have done here is
they really don't like well, the National Party doesn't like
it as well. They're deeply embarrassed by it, so they

(02:06):
want to move it along. But people deserve the essay. Look,
there was twenty thousand Hobson's plage.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
It's hard missions in.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
There, and they deserve to have the essay as much
as they the intermediate since pledge.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
So you don't know if you're Arthur or Martha Duncan.
One minute it's dangerous, the next minute you're wanting to
read Hobson's pledge.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
I want every I want everyone in New Zealand to
be given a fair crack and a fairsay, all right now,
and even if I despise their views, and that's a
really important value. Democracy.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Is what number have we called? Is this the same
dunk in the web? Appreciate I think I appreciate you.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
I think you get my story.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Thanks all right, Just a spokesperson for the Labor Party.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
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