The Treaty Principles Bill has drawn more than 300,000 submissions—believed to be the highest number ever recorded in New Zealand’s legislative process—prompting the Justice Committee to extend the submission deadline after technical issues prevented some individuals from submitting on time.
The initial deadline, which closed at midnight on Tuesday, saw an overwhelming influx of submissions, with nearly half arriving on the final day, causing website disruptions. Justice Committee chairperson James Meager confirmed the extension, allowing submissions from 1 p.m. Thursday to 1 p.m. Tuesday, January 14, to ensure those affected by the outage can participate.
Dr David Wilson, Clerk of the House of Representatives, described the submission count as unprecedented. The previous record was just over 100,000 submissions on the 2021 Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill.
“Although the final number may change as staff process submissions, it already appears to be the highest total ever received,” Wilson says.
Calls for Extension Amid Technical Issues
The decision to extend the deadline followed a two-hour committee meeting on Thursday morning. The committee also agreed to accept emailed submissions received between Monday and Thursday morning due to the website outage, provided they met all other conditions.
National MP James Meager, who chairs the Justice Committee, says, “People who were unable to submit previously will have the opportunity to submit online over the next few days.”
The bill, introduced by ACT leader David Seymour, seeks to redefine the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and hold a referendum on their application across government and law. Seymour urges citizens to submit their views, saying, “This is the last chance to make your voice heard.”
Political Response
The deadline extension was welcomed by opposition parties, including Te Pāti Māori, the Green Party, and Labour, who had all called for more time due to the submission portal issues.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says her office received over 500 emails late into Tuesday night from people who couldn’t access the submission portal. She described the effort to print and physically deliver thousands of submissions to Parliament before the Wednesday deadline for hard copies.
Law professor Dr Dean Knight from Victoria University also faced technical challenges. After spending two hours trying to submit online, he delivered a physical copy instead, saying it was “inconceivable” that the committee wouldn’t extend the deadline given the technical failures.
Strong Opposition from Green Party
The Green Party’s Justice Committee representative, Tamatha Paul, criticizes the bill as a waste of time and resources. “There are bigger fish to fry—housing insecurity, poverty, environmental decline, and a crumbling health system,” Paul says.
She urges Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to withdraw the bill entirely. “Our founding agreement should never be up for negotiation by one tiny part of one side.”
Despite the record number of submissions, Luxon has reiterated that his Government will not support the bill beyond its first reading, regardless of the outcome of the consultation process.
