I cannot contemplate without uneasiness the evil consequences which might ensue from judicially declaring that the soil of the foreshore of the Colony will be vested absolutely in the natives if they can prove certain acts of ownership – Chief Judge Fenton 1870.
As Kiwis head to the beaches this summer, they should give a thought to the battle that’s raging behind the scenes for the ownership and control of their favourite patch of coastline.
Hundreds of tribal groups across the country are spending millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money on high-powered legal teams arguing before compliant judges that they should be awarded Customary Marine Title so they can “own” the foreshore and seabed extending out 12 nautical miles.
Customary title is a significant prize. It comes with all the benefits of ownership, except the right of resale. In other words, tribal ‘owners’ would control the coast. They would have the right to deny public access to areas they claim are culturally sensitive – appointing wardens to police ‘wahi tapu’ areas and issue trespass fines of up to $5,000.
They could charge commercial users of the coast, such as the local surf school, fishing charters, or even the organisers of sporting events. Nor is there anything to stop them leasing out the coast to third parties such as overseas mining interests to monetarise the mineral deposits in their foreshore and seabed into a lucrative income stream.
Yet more money-spinning opportunities will come from the right to veto resource consents in the area, and control coastal planning.
The law allowing all of this was passed by the National Government – in coalition with the Maori Party – back in 2011. They assured the public at the time that only claims for remote areas of the coast would succeed – which they estimated to be no more than 10 percent of the coastline.
This was consistent with the view of the Court of Appeal, that sparked the whole foreshore and seabed controversy back in 2003, that “discrete” “pockets” of customary title might still exist.
With over 600 overlapping claims covering every inch of the coastline waiting to be resolved, the courts, however, have been bending over backwards to appease Maori applicants.
We saw this in the first case to come before the High Court. Rather than disappoint unsuccessful applicants by awarding single Customary Marine Titles to those judged to have “exclusively” used and occupied their specified area continuously since 1840, the Orwellian award of “shared exclusivity” was invented so no-one missed out.
That High Court ruling set a precedent that would have resulted in virtually the entire coast being owned by competing tribal groups – a far cry from the 10 percent in remote areas promised by National.
As a result, the case was appealed to the Court of Appeal, but since their ruling made the situation worse, that was appealed to the Supreme Court.
While some claim the Supreme Court’s judgement, which was released last week, was a major victory that would somehow make all the problems with the claims process go away, nothing could be further from the truth. Its decision has made a bad situation even worse.
While the appeals were working their way through the courts, the Coalition Government introduced legislation to overrule Court judgments and reaffirm Parliament’s original intention when the Marine and Coastal Area Act was introduced.
Essentially the Supreme Court has pronounced that “tikanga” should be at the heart of all decision-making over the claims process. This ruling is clearly designed to progress their activist agenda to embed “tikanga” or Maori custom – which differs from family to family and can mean virtually whatever anyone wants it to mean – into our legal system. Their actions raise serious constitutional concerns which must be addressed if our highest Court is to be prevented from undermining the Coalition’s attempt to ensure the law delivers what Parliament intended.
We asked former Judge Anthony Willy for his opinion on the Supreme Court’s ruling, and in this week’s NZCPR Guest Commentary he describes it as ‘political interference’:
“It is a lengthy essay which reads like a cross between a sociological disquisition and a consultant’s report that might have been commissioned by the Office of Maori Crown relations under the previous government. It is an exploration of Maori spiritual values, as far as they can be ascertained such as taking a ‘holistic view,’ whatever that means on the facts, and exploring notions of Tikanga and Mana. The result is that the judgment is a blatant exercise in political interference in the legislative process.”
At the centre of the controversy is the Section 58 test in Marine and Coastal Area Act that claimants must satisfy to be granted a Customary Marine Title. It has two limbs. Section 58(1)(a), the tikanga limb, requires claimants to have held their specified area according to tikanga. And Section 58(1)(b), the property rights limb, requires claimants to have exclusively used and occupied their specified area since 1840 without substantial interruption.
In our submission to the Supreme Court, we referred to a Regulatory Impact Statement prepared by the Ministry of Justice in 2010, which showed that while tikanga was to be applied to the first limb of the test, it was deemed to be too “uncertain” and was specifically ruled out of the second limb in favour of a common law test. In other words, Parliament intended the second limb to stand alone and mean what it says: “exclusive” means not shared by others.
The Supreme Court disagreed and ruled that tikanga can influence the second limb of the test. And that’s the nub of the problem.
If tikanga applies to the second limb of the Section 58 test, “exclusive” can signify “shared”. That means instead of multiple competing Customary Marine Title claims for a specified area being ruled out under a property-rights interpretation of “exclusive”, they could all be ruled in as “shared exclusivity” under a tikanga interpretation.
The Supreme Court justified their ruling by claiming the Marine and Coastal Area Act was a “reconciliatory” piece of legislation designed to correct past wrongs. But that’s incorrect. The well-established Treaty settlement process is for reconciliation. The Marine and Coastal Area Act is a property right test.
We expect the Supreme Court’s judgment will significantly influence the outcome of the hundreds of cases yet to be heard. There is no question that unless the situation is corrected, it remains likely that a vast proportion of the foreshore and seabed – out to the 12-nautical mile Territorial Sea limit – will pass into Customary Title.
Let’s be very clear about what is happening here. The Supreme Court is taking an activist approach that is over-ruling the intention of Parliament. That’s why some are describing the situation as a constitutional crisis.
Unless the Coalition specifically rules out “tikanga” from being used to assess that second limb of the Section 58 test in their Marine and Coastal Area (Customary Marine Title) Amendment Bill, the end result may not be much different from the circumstances that created public alarm in the first place.
This situation is very serious. The Courts have not provided the solution the Coalition had sought. There is now only one way that Customary Title can be limited to what National had promised in 2011, and that is for the Coalition Government to exercise its sovereignty over the Courts through the Bill that is currently before Parliament.
There’s only a short window of opportunity available for action*. A Supplementary Order Paper needs to be introduced by the Coalition during the Committee stages of the Bill to specifically rule out tikanga from being considered as a factor in that second limb of the Customary Title test.
If this is not done, significantly more of the coastal area will likely pass into customary title than the ‘no more than 10 percent of remote areas’ promised by National in 2011 and reinforced by the Coalition.
In other words, to prevent the activist Supreme Court from sabotaging the Coalition’s law change, tikanga needs to be excluded from being used to interpret the second limb of the Customary Marine Title test.
*With the Committee Stages of the Amendment Bill expected this week, if you feel strongly about this issue, why not share your concerns with the Coalition. All MP email addresses can be found on the ‘Have Your Say’ page of our website HERE.
The Supreme Court ruling is not the end of the legal process for us. As an associate of an interested party in more than 200 applications before the High Court, we are monitoring the cases as they come onto the Court schedule and challenging the process where we believe it is being abused.
For example, we are currently opposing a proposal in the High Court that would enable two customary title applicants, each of which has claimed they have used their specified area exclusively, to withdraw their competing claims and submit a new joint application – some seven years after the cut-off date for lodging new claims! The effect would be to side-step the exclusivity test in S58(1)(b) and open up a clear pathway to gaining a Customary Marine Title – with the financial benefits divvied up afterwards.
We are challenging this development as we see it as an abuse of process.
We are also now seeing claimants wanting their hearings delayed – and for two reasons. The first is that all applicants, regardless of the merit of their claim, must be consulted on any new resource consent applications in their area, which gives them status and financial privileges they would not enjoy if they were unsuccessful in their claim. But the second reason is that they are playing a political long-game by delaying in the hope of a change of government to one with Maori Party influence. This is also an issue that must be addressed by the Coalition – indefinite delays should not be allowed.
Looking ahead, we believe the only way to ensure the law delivers on what the Coalition has promised is not only for tikanga to be removed from consideration in that second limb of the Customary Marine Title test, but for all new claims – including the consolidation of existing claims into a single claim – to be ruled out of time, and for indefinite hearing delays to be refused.
Finally, in outlining the process by which claims for customary title are progressed, the Supreme Court suggests that “contradictors” will help to ensure that opportunistic claims don’t succeed. What they didn’t acknowledge was the fact that in most cases there are no contradictors because of the exorbitant costs involved in participating in the legal process. In contrast, those seeking Customary Title may receive up to $458,000 in funding per claim – paid for by taxpayers!
The only reason we are in a position to understand what’s really going on and take action is because of the generous support we have received over the years from people who really care about the future of this country.
That allowed us, back in 2017, to lodge Notices of Appearance on all of the High Court claims. Theoretically, that means we could be involved in each and every case that crops up, but since even minimal involvement is eye-wateringly expensive, we have mostly restricted ourselves to the first claims under new laws to ensure those laws operate as Parliament intended.
As mentioned above, we are presently active in those two new cases that appear to be attempting to circumvent the law, that have hearings scheduled for early next year. That’s why, of course, we are now seeking funding support – details can be found HERE – so we can continue to engage in this new phase of this dreadful saga to try to ensure the Coalition’s law change delivers what Parliament originally intended.
So, in spite of claims that the Supreme Court’s judgment means the foreshore and seabed battle has been won, that is simply not the case.
The Supreme Court has escalated the battle, not only by failing in its duty to interpret the law as Parliament intended, but also by deliberately undermining the Coalition Government’s attempt to legislate to fix the law.
The undermining of Parliamentary sovereignty is a serious constitutional matter that must be addressed. The judicial activism that is now clearly evident within our Court system has become a serious threat to the Rule of Law and Democracy itself.
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THIS WEEK’S POLL ASKS:
*Do you believe ‘tikanga’ has any place within our legal system?
*Poll comments are posted below.
*All NZCPR poll results can be seen in the Archive.
THIS WEEK’S POLL COMMENTS
| Definitely a NO, NO, NO | Bruce |
| Tikanga is NOT NZ law | Basil |
| Absolutely NOT, as it is merely Maori lore/myth as a posed to parliamentary law. | Jo |
| Tikanga is uncertain and ever changing. Legal systems need clarity and certainty for those whose lives are affected by them. Non-Maori and most Maori are not subject to tikanga mores, and should not be required to comply with conventions designed for a specific identity group. Uncertain and divisive, Tikanga lacks the characteristics necessary to law to permit enforcement. | Baden |
| If tikanga or custom is going to apply in our legal system it must be applied equally to all New Zealanders. Scotsmen can wear a dirk in the sock with a kilt being just one example. Dress swords can be work in public by all with a knighthood. So the list goes on! | John |
| its a stone age concept | Jenny |
| We need to stop the claim train. Why ate we still using the Treat as part of this government agenda? As a tax payer, I am tired of subsidising these claims. Poor people have barely access to legal aid and here we are spending millions of dollars paying for lawyers to act on behalf of Maori. If they are so keen to lodge these claims, they should be paying themselves for their lawyers. | Lu |
| Activist arguments are one of the biggest threats there istoNZ as an undivided society. The use of pidgin English also means they do not need to be precise with language. TInserting pretend,(or even real) Maori words into English also insults Maori by pretending Maori people cannot manage real English words. | Ian |
| we are one people, all equal under the law of New Zealand. | Malcolm |
| Not until it is earned and merited. | robin |
| New Zealand is one country for all New Zealanders | Alister |
| We are asking that the nzcpr move that all money of taxpayers being given to Maori to pay their lawyers to fight us is ludicrous. Should be stopped immediately. Until this happens there are many of us will not be donating. | Dianne |
| NO, NO. so called Tikanga, is incompatible with the rule of law. We cannot have both, it is one or the other. we cannot allow a minority to take away or dilute the rule of law, think chaos! | Sam |
| Enough of this bullshit WE ARE ONE PEOPLE end of this gravy train | mark |
| Shall we have a democracy where we are all equal or blithely go down the path of tribalism, which will cause the utter destruction of this country as it has in places like South Africa! | John |
| No. Doesnt Tika mean to be right And Tikanga maori, mean the right maori way of doing things Well, no thank you not now not ever This BS manifests like folk law from a distant dark age of canilbilism and violence, the latter still an issue today. Into something that feeds a gravy train that is calling for a lessening of socieital standards. Driven by the woke, some of whom believe themselves to be the intellectual elite, and others who want a return to tribalism | Bruce |
| One law for all NZers | Peter |
| NO,NEVER EVER. | John |
| ABSOLUTELY NOT! | CAROLINE |
| The free ride, tax-payer funded gravy-train, needs to end, once and for all. Why should hard working, taxpayers have to fund lazy Maoris’ that refuse to work? The govt, charity trough, bottom feeders, grifting free-ride needs to end QUICKLY, AND SOON! | David |
| Myths, fairy tales, legends. etc. None have a place in our Laws. | Elizabeth |
| Except that in developing legislation submitters might bring about the inclusion of some tikanga principles. The term ‘Tikanga’ should not be used at all in laws because it is so unclear and it includes aspects that would be totally unacceptable in a civilised society. | Johan |
| What is the point in living in this country anymore? | Chris |
| Its not common law | Gary |
| Absolutely no. They have had their payouts. The government MUST stamp it out. The greed by so few is shocking. | Jude |
| Tikanga should have no place in law as we all know that it can be so very vague and defined as a definer chooses. Law must be clear and not flexible. Shared exclusivity is an impossibility as is black is white. | John |
| Start with getting rid of the Maori seats, and the Waitangi tribuneral, and ALL of the CROWN LEGALESE B.S, to start with, all the rest will follow… | David |
| One person one vote no favouritism | Felicity |
| We’re living in 2024,not 1840 !!! Hello. | Mark |
| vague and exploitable gobble de gook | Mike |
| Who except the Maori Radicals want to go back to divisive power driven motives. | Maurice |
| The tribal coup has to end. | Steve |
| No tikanga is soly a maori thing, and if they wish to utalise that sort of thing on their maries thats fine but it has no place within our leagal system. or open society. | Grant |
| Tikanga is NOT law; it is folk story stuff. | Peter |
| Absolutely Not. The gravy train is alive and thriving. All at the expense of the Taxpayer (YOU) Thanks to NZCPR for getting knowledge in in front of the General Public | Norman |
| According to Sir Apirana Ngata there was no question. The Tribal leaders absolutely did cede sovereignty. We need a better educated public to bring honestly back to the country. | Darag |
| Tikanga has no specific meaning to all people of New Zealand and should therefore have little relevance | John |
| Absolutely not – Tikanga is lore not law… | Gerry |
| We must become united. We are all visitors Maori say they were here 600 years before European. No proof, no structures, cave art etc etc Primitive as when Cook arrived European in one hundred years had townships. buildings using NZ material, farms established, whale stations established!!!! Etc | Julz |
| It is not a legal system, but rather a set of vague cultural practices which have no place in modern law. | Paul |
| No absolutely not. What is the English translation of the made-up word “tikanga”? The Supreme court is nothing more than a horrible cultural Marxism joke without any checks and balances. It should be immediately disestablished along with the moronic parasitic Waitangi tribunal. | Richard |
| all they want is money, they have no interest in helping out there fellow citizens. the more they get, the more they won’t | viona |
| We are one people, NOT Maori and us | Carolyn |
| Not British Law no no no definitely no | Sylvia |
| I have been told that the northern iwi have out fished the northern seas under their quota system, their boats are now moving down to fish the west coast of the south Island. If they win the sea bed and foreshore out to 12 miles, does this then give them leverage to claim our economic zone in the future? | Sven |
| The rabid racial RACISTS, will throw their toys out of the cot, when the CROWN, stops PUBLIC FUNDING, for Tikanga, and other PET MAORI FUNDED PROJECTS, Rothchilds….. Bank of England, will have the final say, and KING CHARLIE! | David |
| Maori are not the INDIGENOUS people of New Zealand. Proof has it there were other races before them that the maori war ed against and cooked them in the pot of boiling water what they will do to us if we keep playing this unconscionable game. The judges have been paid off by the WEF = WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, to pull this deception off. Those judges need to be fired and held accountable for treason to the New Zealand People. Where is Donald… | Noel |
| The world over can prove Maori were and are NOT the indigenous people of New Zealand. Being of war like mind and cannibalism they killed and destroyed the Mori ori that were long here before they arrived so they need to prove they were the only indigenous race in this country. I for one know that that is impossible because I have seen the research, I have seen the evidence and it IS NOT MAORI. | Sky |
| As with science, the law should be about facts not fiction, religion or fairy tales. | D |
| There should not be any rights to any part of the coast, the coast should be owned by the government for all New Zealanders | Alec |
| It’s the UN driven Corporate Apartheid Agenda masquerading as Indigenous rights. | neil |
| Equality for all, irrespective of race, colour or creed and respect for all living within a democracy | Gene |
| Absolutely not!!!!! A travesty if it stays and proves how spineless our political leaders have become. | Bev |
| Accepted practic in MANY areas, and tribal customs, should NOT influence our courts or that system of justice. It may have a place for Maori, but it certainly doesnt have a place in our judiciary. | M. |
| There is no place in NZ for prehistoric superstitions anymore | Andrew |
| I am heartily sick of all this Stone Age Maori bull shit | Murray |
| Tikanga is used as a propaganda term that often means in practice “special rights” to certain iwi and individuals. | Kent |
| We are all only custodians of the sea and foreshore and equally share in its use. Tikanga may be something relevant to Maori but not to the majority of New Zealanders and has no place in law. | Alastair |
| Law needs to be secular | Rose |
| Take tikanga to the Pacifica, this is Oceania | Russell |
| Tikanga is folk lore thus has no place what so ever to be inserted in or to even be any kind in whole or part of New Zealand’s common democratic law. It is nothing more than a distractor. It is part of the falsification that all the tyrannical and radicalised malcontents are pressurising our government, bureaucrats, corporates, educators and the public at large to surrender our current democratic rule of law. This is the evil doer’s overarching objective to have our country become a Tribal Marxist ruled country. We want none of that thank you. It would amount to an unworkable false situation that seeks to allow these fraudulent fat lazy cats to freely enrich themselves off our hard working citizens national tax take. It’s no good for them and it’s no good for us. So we need to lance the boil right now. Come on New Zealand lets hear your voice. We need crush this nonsense by relentlessly publicising true historical facts to counter the all the BS coming from this underwhelming tyrannical minority. | Garry. |
| This is dividing the country and must be discarded. | George |
| Our country is governed by a democratically elected, non-racial government and it must stay that way. | Martin |
| A diabolical situation. It must be stopped | Denis |
| The Maori Party are pushing the He Puapua pathway setup by the previous Labour Government, with the stated aim of taking over the country by 2040. The current government needs to open its eyes to this danger. | John |
| There is no place for tikanga within the NZ legal system | Mark |
| Thats a big fat NO. | Ian |
| Law change also needed to enable the removal of these woke judges. | Peter |
| one law for all | Bri |
| It has no place whatsoever and it is really concerning how our history has been warped to the point of treacherous lying. The Treaty being used as a weapon is absolute lies — it has nothing to do with foreshore seabeds or the air around tui’s farts or whatever. It’s about time we took back this country but we have a weak Prime Minister. | Alan |
| We should operate as a democracy of one person one vote. Not on race | Robyn |
| There is no place for separate rules for Maoris. We are all equal New Zealanders. | Cheryl |
| THERE SHOULD BE NO REFERANCE TO TIKANGA IN ANY PLICY WHEN IT COMES TO THE RIGHTS OF Maori SO SREW THEM.AND PUT ALL Maori ON EQUAL FOOTING LIKE THE REST OF US | KEN |
| It is un constitutional and undermines the rights of all NZ Citizens. | Pierre |
| The sea foreshore and seabed should be for ALL New Zealanders not for any personal or group ownership | Ian |
| all people are equal and this is sided one, this is for the benefit of one particular culture. | Terry |
| Rubbish | gary |
| Definitely NOT | Trevor |
| Neither does the Supreme Court. | Denis |
| Fact: Those activovost maori are all at least 50% non-maori. Many maori are happy to be simply New Zealanders. The few are ruining this country together with well educated ‘woke’ NZers who read only commentators-the original document is always the best source, Then think, | Margaret |
| It is just so much of a nonsense it is hard to believe that anyone would take it seriously – REALLY – it’s time to take a stance on such nonsense and remove all traces of the treaty from statute immediately. I’ve had enough and need it gone. | Don |
| Absolutely NOT. National will pay the price in 2026. NZ is stuffed. If the Coalitions has the power to Govern, why are they not using it? | Sam |
| Just wait and see the radical predjudiced angry Racists jump quickly back into line when King Charlie boy, gets dragged into The ‘Treaty Shenanigans” debate.Charlie, and Iwi know that ‘Crown Issues’ are all about ‘BIG BUCKS’ , They BOTH know which side their bread is buttered on…..!! and will quickly both fall into line. | David |
| If this Government doesnt stand up and fight for the freedoms of all New Zealanders then we will be over run by these greedy rabid dogs. The only way to prevent that from happening will be others with right on their side will have to take charge of the country until such time as it can be reset . THEN COMES THE GREAT RECKONING, who would have thought it would come to this! | Glyn J |
| why should I, a tax payer fork out for a bunch of lying, corrupt, thieving lawyers and their bunch of hori friends so they can control the lives of the decent NEW ZEALANDERS and destroy the whole country, as tweedle dee and treedle dum are fast selling up of what they own in NZ before the hori mob take over then both of them will move to Hawaii to play golf and suck up to trump, National have and are not to be trusted now and in the future they should go to jail with the hori and the whole bloody bent judges and lawyers top to bottom. Civil war is looming closer every day. | Richard |
| The law must be certain and knowable by us all if it is to be agreed to and abided by. | Fiona |
| 1 law for all. This hocus pocus bullshit dreamed up by stone age aggressors needs consigned to the rubbish bin. | Bill |
| Not unless we want apatheid in NZ. | Brian |
| There is NO partnership. There is NO co-governance. There is NO Co-Government or Maori Shadow Government. New Zealand has an elected parliamentary democracy, full stop. No single race or ethnic group should have priority. | Phil |
| Big Time and agressive | Jill |
| No! | Norman |
| Why are our taxes supporting this greedy divisiv land and sea grab? we are all New ZZealanders. And not Aotearoa dwellers. | rose |
| Tikanga can mean whatever someone wants to mean and could be used to by anyone to effectively nullify virtually all laws | Felix |
| apartheid and greedy | Joe |
| this is not sth.africa | ian |
| No place | Leon |
| This is nothing more than a continuing bid to penalise all other races who are entitled to enjoy living in NZ. If Maori want things the way they perceive them to have been in 1840 they must be prepared to give up everything they have benefited from since, starting with the wheel!! | Maxine |
| Stop the taxpayer funding of legal costs. That will fix the problem | Ian |
| Absolutely not, stone age b’s | Flip |
| Just NO. I may sound like a stuck record, but there is no place for apartheid in a democracy. Though I don’t believe we live in one now. We live in a one world government where the rights of minorities overshadow the rights of the majority and that minority can state things on public television which incites violence or the threat of violence with no judicial ramifications. Not a murmur. If anyone else were to make such inciteful comments their feet wouldn’t touch the ground until they were behind bars. So, I guess we do already live under apartheid rule after reading my own comment. | larry |
| How many “tikanga’ laws are you planning in our multi culture society ? Who is going to win the war?What kind of society are we talking about ?Banana’s don’t grow that well in NZ. | Henk |
| All NZers are under or before the law of the land. Different cultures customs must come under or before the law as a result. | Judi |
| I am sick and tired of the ways in which both the Waitangi Tribunal and the judiciary are bending the law to suit one race of people. It is no wonder this country has become so divided. And so poor. | Sue |
| Is our legal system under siege. Our judges know the law so grow up and do the right thing for New Zealand. Or do our highly paid appointed judges believe they are above the law. Many should remember I pay their wages through tax payments or should I leave NZ and they find the golden goose will no longer fund their legal activism. | Mike |
| No, as the law needs clearly defined words and concepts. | Len |
| The idea that some tribal stone age thinking could become part of written law is laughable. The majority people of this country deserve to have clear concise laws that apply to everyone regardless of ethnicity or race or what amount of bloodline they have. I hope the coalition government can tell the Maori where to shove their tikanga so it disappears forever. | Derek |
| Silly words like spirituality and tikanga must be removed from the claims process and be replaced by clear understandable English. We are one people. | Erin |
| No one can own the foreshore and seabed. Maori hierarchy are well known for their ability to reinvent history to their own advantage. | Steve |
| Truth and justice are not flexible, negotiable matters. They are based on objective truth which seeks to obtain the facts after investigating all sides without prejudice or bias before passing judgement. There are records of how the early missionaries gently and patiently worked through these principles (which have their foundations in Christianity). These principles of justice were of great help to the Maori people who were sick and tired of being constantly at each other’s throats. | Duncan |
| Rule of established law is the ONLY way | Maxwell |
| Its all mumbo jumbo rubbish which has no place in our legal system | Jim |
| Absolutely not. | Glyn |
| All citizens of NZ are equal before the law. No one group has greater influence than any other. | Bruce |
| The law provides democratically debated and mostly clearly defined rules for the courts to apply. takanga is a race based framework and does not have these characteristics. Because it is a framework only and not well defined it appears to be used by Maori to achieve self entitlement outcomes, not aligned to democratic rights of all citzens. It lacks any useful defined structure which means it is not reliable and should not be used in our courts. | Stan |
| Mr Key and Mr Finlayson have much to answer for. | Hugh |
| Get ready for war if this b/s continues. | john |
| Thee is so much violence, distrust and racial bias in society – and racial division hasn’t worked successfully for peace and unity any where in the world WHY is this even a subject in New Zealand? Even our political leaders and lap dogs seem happy to divide New Zealand socially – One winders who is rewarding them for their divisive stand? | Syuart |
| It is totally against the Treaty and the principals described in it. | STEPHEN |
| Maori ceded to the Crown and there is only one legal system | Neville |
| Tikanga can mean any thing these rebel maori extremists want. They will use this to gain control of NZ including our foreshore and seabed. Nothing but plain english in our laws thank you. Just look at lake taupo and all the money maori tribes are creaming. Foreshore and sea bed to follow. Govt needs to sack all the maori gifting judges. They dont give a shit about the rest of us. The govt and democracy are on a fast track of decline. WAKE UP NZrs. NO NO NO to ti tikanga. | Kevan |
| Nobody can define tikanga – it means different things to different groups. Laws must be clear ad unambiguous. All references to the “principles of the treaty” currently embodied in legislation must be removed. | Kerry |
| Just get on with life here in New Zealand. Don’t let a few Radical Maori upset our way of life. | William Clive |
| Definitely NOT | Neil |
| I have never read so much rubbish made up from various supreme court activism in my time of living 55 years in this country. The simple fact is that there are no full-blooded Maori left in this country only greedy part Maori and the rest of us Why we have to listen to the various appeals shows how simple these so called judges are. These so called part Maori have no more claims than the rest of us and should be tolled accordingly; The various court hearings should harden up and stop listening to drivel. The government makes the rules not sympathetic money making lawmen | Tom |
| Absolutely not | Grahame |
| tikanga or whatever it means is bull dust and should not be in our law system,with these activist judges and lawyers pulling the strings,much as i hate to say it i dont think this coalition is going to do anything to change it David Seymour has some guts and he is trying,maori are not indigenous Historians have proven this fact the forshore and sea bed is for all new for all New Zealanders to enjoy.our prime minister has no guts to confront this activist take over he beleives they are indigenous,he needs to look in to our true History,the trouble is we are a country full of white maoris and young activists.im afraid national and labour are just 2 wings of the same bird im in my seventys now to old to get out of this country,we are multi cultural and should all treat each other with the same laws and the same respect for each other,my heart feels sad for this country used to be such ba great place,the ancestors of these maori came here and slaughtered the people that where here before them,and there greed is insatiable.there is enough hate in this world it is time for people to wake up | rodger |
| Tikanga is a pestilence which is ravishing the racial spectrum in New Zealand. Tikanga is the PERSONIFICATION OF APARTHEID. | Marshal |
| This word has no legal ‘clout’ and could not be used within our normal legal system, courts etc. | Peter |
| Just bloody crap | Allan |
| Equal rights for all. My God, when will New Zealanders wake up. | Andrew |
| NO, NO, NO x 50 Trillion. If this BS is allowed to continue we may as well change to New Zimbabwe, as we will become a 3rd World Country | Noel |
| no religious, cultural or spiritual mumbo jumbo have any right in our law making. | NIGEL |
| Definitely not. Tikanga is a religious system which has no place in Government for all people | Warren |
| Our legal system. | Evan |
| Nor should hakas be allowed in parliament. Hakas are confrontational, threatening and obscene. Allowing them in parliament in the name of tikanga sets a nasty precedent… imagine rebellious kids at school taking up the reins against their teachers. | Heather |
| No way another rort in the making….. | Carl |
| Absolutely not racist and far too vague from area to area or iwi to iwi. Also no trust whatsoever in this process being proposed. | Russ |
| For law to be good law it should be certain. Tikanga is variable between iwi and is therefore uncertain. | Philip |
| Definitely not. | Ann |
| Of course not it is open to interpretation to suit. | |
| It is too vague, will cause unnecessary confusion, expense and is something that will never end until a certain group have everything they want. Even then they probably won’t be happy. | James |
| Should Tikanga be acknowledged in our judicial system say goodbye to democracy as we know it. | Graeme |
| NO! If they want to fight it out in the Court System, then they can pay for it themselves. I don’t see why the NZ Taxpayers should have to pay for this extortion. | Heather |
| Born here and proud to be a New Zealander. The small group of younger stirrers must yield to fact and not try and create blinding miss truth | Ken |
| absolutely not | Colin |
| definitely no place in anything at all. The Government needs to step up and have some wisdom concerning this Maori takeover of our country. If it wasnt for the europeans they would still be eating each other. They have not moved forward but backwards | Heather |
| What a load of racial bullshit | Bruce |
| no | Colin |
| Tikanga means Maori have a right to do things their way, in accordance with their tikanga. It has no place in any legal system as their way can change as they see fit. | Mary |
| Mumbo jumbo!!! | Gerard |
| Absolutley not. Laws must be written in English not a language that can be ‘ interpreted” in different ways to form different outcomes. | Robbie |
| It is spiritual nonsense with no place in modern law What a load of crap | Peter |
| Whatever tikanga means. If it means “hurty feelings” then it definitely does not belong in our legal system. | Jenny |
| Tikanga creates uncertainty about what the law is which is a hopeless position to be in. I say that as an experienced commercial lawyer. Why would you invest in a country where the rules are unclaer | John |
| This is just another land grab | Murray |
| Absolutely not. ONE rule for all citizens, and ALL citizens should be treated equally. | Gail |
| We are all equal under the law of the land | Carole |
| We live in a democracy and no race should take precedence over any other. | Len |
| Of couse NO,it was NEVER even used 10 years ago but now you hear it all the time.ALL govt M.P,s NEED to get emails from EVERYONE telling them about RADICAL JUDGES & SUPREME COURTS IGNORING GOVT> & USING TIKANA as an excuse to grant maori/iwi claims to OWN the seafront & shoreline & how they will be able to make money by chaging NZealanders a fee to swim or go on the beach,NO-ONE INCLUDING the Govt. will be able to use or do ANYTHING in the seashore without gowing hat in their arms & ASK maori permission to do something on “maori land” so they NEED TO REMOVE ANY POLICY CONTAINING TIKANA OR MAORI/IWI WILL USE IT TO MAKE MONEY OUT OF THINGS.THEY NEED TO ACT NOW NOT THINK ABOUT IT GROW BALLS AS VOTORS BELIEVED YOUR PROMISES TO MAKE EVERYONE EQUAL. | Cindy |
| NOT AT ALL!! | TONY |
| No no no no. It is a mythical concept which means different things to different people. Got our highest court to take the view it has is unbelievable – this IS a constitutional crisis and must not be alowed | Allan |
| There is no place for spiritual or mystical ideology in the Law. Period | Lindsay |
| The National party has to far more assertive and cease all their policies of appeasement. Mr Luxon has to demonstrate very strong leadership now and face off with the Iwi Council and demonstate he is the PM and will no longer tolerate all this judicial activism. | Nigel |
| No hokey-pokey in our laws please. In the eyes of the law, we must all be equal with no favourtism for one race..thats a recipe for disaster. | Peter |
| There was never any mention of tikanga in the treaty of Waitangi. | Andrew |
| Mythical, smoke-in-mirrors claims on our land and foreshore and seabed demand that New Zealanders use the full might of Parliament to usurp the greedy, grabbing, malfeasance of some very evil activists who are undeserving of a place in our society. | Helen |
| Why are they allowed to spend taxpayers money?? | Valda |
| one country. one people | patrick |
| New Zealand is for all people. | Joan |
| Civil war on the way? | Bob |
| My understanding of tikanga is that it means property ‘gained by the spear’. It is all about property rights. As Apirana Ngata stated. The best thing we could do it go back to the original meaning and stick to it. | Robert |
| tikanga is a mythical idea that has sprung up through the years by maori who want averthing in this country to be owened by them | Les |
| Not in the slightest! Never! | Michael |
| Absolutely not. That’s undemocratic! The whole system is already overloaded in favour of IWI. Why don’t the elites Maori focus on purchasing the Likes of Kinlieth Pup & Paper Mills! | Michael Andrew |
| Get rid of this Maori crap once and for all. It’s just a big con job costing millions and millions of dollars. | Chris |
| Absolutely not! One country, one people. | Daphne |
| Tikanga is airy fairy Stone Age nonsense and has been morphed into a tool and Trojan horse into gaining tribal control by deception. Corrupt Iwi elites and activists are using this nebulous concept to hijack the country. | John |
| Absolutely NOT!!! | Neil |
| NO NO NO | Eric |
| Time to learn from history but recognise that NZ is a multicultural society with all NZ citizens having equal rights | Kevin |
| Absolutely not. | Judy |
| Tikanga does not appear in the Treaty of Waitangi so why is it applied here ?? | Brian |
| Its a cultural concept whose application varies widely over time and place. It is in no way sufficiently clear & specific enough to contribute to law, as cf lore. | Murray |
| It is un-democratic in its entirety and is ‘stone-age’ mentality. | mark |
| to get a wider understanding of the language and meaning watch the documentary Taniwha -inside the chiefs rugby club. Its enlightening that a respected scholar re-enforces that words in Maori can have multiple interpretations (and highlighted examples) Law should not be this flexible..its impossible to administer otherwise. | gavin |
| No, absolutely NO Nothing remotely tribal has any place in democratic NZ | Carolyn |
| There are so many “Maori” words that have a new modern meaning, several meanings, and being manipulated by activists to achieve their goals which I believe do not reflect the wishes or intent of most Maori people. | Rita |
| Tikanga has no specific meaning and court cases involving tikanga would become even more costly as litigants argued which meaning was appropriate in each case. | Bruce |
| what is tikanga – who knows? Lets have Law that everyone understands even Judges. | judy |
| None what so ever. | Sheena |
| If the present government acts now to reinforce the original intention of parliament, what would prevent a future government from reversing any such decision? | Peter |
| JUST NO….! | Jill |
| The word has no defined legal meaning. It is being used as a blatant racist lever. | Doug |
| Absolutely not | neville |
| Never, ever! | Greg |
| Absolutely NO!! | Tony |
| NZ is not a place for racial division. | bruce |
| Mumbo Jumbo | Dave |
| Tikanga like any other words should not be a ‘special’ word in any ‘legal’ system language,or race. | David |
| Tikanga undermines the concept that we are all equal before the law by giving some people more rights than others. | wayne |
| Absolutely not, but its already here, being rammed down our throats every day by the separatists, in all that we do, see and hear. We have already become, a very divided nation. Welcome to Aotearoa, Apartheid Ethnostate of the South Pacific. And where will it end ? Just look at history, you think we would have learnt by now. | Brian |
| We are New Zealanders by being Kiwis, not by colour, or having a preference for a particular race! | David |
| Folklore is not law. Most of New Zealand coast has had Maori wars through the centuries – various iwi murdering and routing to occupy. Then another iwi came and did the same, or the first iwi fought back into possession. Along the Firth of Thames Regional Parks from Duders to Tapapakanga the fighting was so fierce that many sites were abandoned by 1820. This occurred in much of the New Zealand coastline. Traditional rights for Maori regarding any location including inland was to take control with war parties. The word tikanga has had importance and empowerment wrongly applied. It can not be supported or argued against so needs to be removed. It is time for New Zealand law to be clarified with correct legal words. | Jennifer |
| Definitely NO when is our elected government going to put a stop to all this nonsense and keep there promise it’s past time Luxon stepped up and started listening | Peter |
| I can not improve on what Muriel has written enough is enough One nation one rset of rules | graham |
| It’s ambiguous | Rick |
| Absolutely NO | David |
| Maori are not being truthful about the full extent of “tikanga”. They’d fail a test of “Is the Evidence to be trusted?” | Anne |
| Lets move on together | John |
| it’s a bad joke. | Gerhard |
| Like hell | Iain |
| Witch craft and a woke activist kiwi judiciary what a great combination this is FFS. | Boris |
| Extremists – make New Zealand your next target. Tikanga means whatever you want it to mean. Alice through the looking glass country. | Paloma |
| The law of the land applies to all New Zealanders irrespective of ethnicity, race, sex, etc. and tikanga has no place in it. | Martin |
| The purpose of the law is to provide citizens with certainty. Tikanga provides the opposite. Not good for business. | Graeme |
| National should do what it was promising to do. | Michael |
| Tikanga has NO place in our legal system. Just more maori bullshit! | Des |
| All the activist judges should be sacked and jailed as traitors | Harvey |
| Tikanga has no place in NZ’s law ! | John |
| I believe Tikanga is not acceptable as a reason to allow further claims on our coast and sea bed. | Jacky |
| Look, the easiest path for the coalition to take in this mess is to overturn all claims that were successful and make the coastline owned by all new Zealander’s with the government having control over it. | Trevor |
| Absolutely not!!!! | John |
| No no no… | Bill |
| How can blatant racism be a part of any legal system?. | John |
| Clearly this is racist ! One person one vote . | Andrew |
| Absolutely not | Warren |
| Absolutely NO. Tikanga is another word for saying ‘do it the maori way, which can mean whatever suits them at the time. When dealing with the law you have to have clear and precise meaning. Hence everyone knows exactly what is meant and required. Tikanga doesn’t do that, its more like voodoo,can be twisted to suit a purpose. Whats wrong with those woke judges. Parliament has the final say so this government better do the right thing. But whats to stop a future government overturning this in the future? Scary thought.Bet National will balls it up again. | Peter |
| One method of law for all citizens – not privileges, exclusivity, favoritism or unconstitutional separatism for a small minority. | Gina |
| Tikanga allows no clarity and therefore is open to misinterpretation and Therefore must be eliminated. | Carol |
| Its all farytailes. | Ronmac |
| Absolutely NOT! | Gail |
| The manipulation of every scenario is totally unacceptable – what planet do these people come from, that they expect & receive tax payer funds to pay for their gravytrain? | Denise |
| If this nonsense is not stopped their will be anarchy, fracture and much distress like we have never seen before! Much worse even than what the Ardern Govt. brought upon us with the Jab etc. | Valerie |
| No country can survive intact with two systems of law, one of which is unwritten and varies from family to family! | Sandy |
| Tikanga must becompletely removed from all NZ legislation – I shall refrain from further comment as that would require a lot of swearing! | Doug |
| Any term used that is understood to be ambiguous or continuously changes meaning depending on who is interpreting will eventually damage the consistency of our legal system. Tikanga falls into this category and is a wedge used by the disenchanted to deliberately undermine our current legal system. The university’s have systematically set out to produce the legal fraternity we see making activist rulings. | Rex |
| Absolutely not. | Pam |
| It has no place whatsoever! It may be lore, but it is NOT law. | Gary |
| Absolutely not. | Tony |
| I know first hand of the level of controlling Maori customs and they hold no place within the legal system as they are a custom to cult like behaviour. | Kylie |
| State sponsored racial terrorism? NO | Mark |
| What is Tikanga? I cannot comment on anything that does not have an English translation. I cannot agree to anything that may be suspect if I do not understand the question. | Dot |
| Absolutely not. Tikanga is so ill defined and capable of meaning whatever those using it want ir to mean. | Jack |
| Tikanga is too vague and subject to wide interpretations to have any place in NZ law. This term must be immediately removed from all legislation. | Bruce |
| Dreadful how we are being misled. Thank goodness for NZCPR. | Dianne |
| absolutely no, time to move into the 21st century | john |
| We should be one people not dividing races and giving privileges to one race. | Penelope |
| Not now,not ever we are a multi racial society in this country now and any rulings should respect that | Laurel |
| Thanks for illuminating legal opinion – clarifying things greatly. | Andy |
| It will be a disaster for this country if it was allowed | Bruce |
| It is not law imo | sandra |
| Tikanga has no basis to be considered in our legal system.. It is too vague and could be compared to the saying “it’s with the Gods to decide”. | Peter |
| No – none whatsoever! These activist judges need to be put in their place along with the brown parasites they seem so anxious to appease before we all lose what our forefathers fought so hard to preserve. Scrapping the Maori seats would be a good start! | Scott. |
| one law for all | Ngaire |
| Absolutely NOT. New Zealand is being screwed by racial Maori activists whose only interest is monetary greed. All references to Tikangi or any other Maori reference need to deleted from all legislation & any & all government, council, education, health, police etc organisations. | David |
| Tikanga varied from tribe to tribe. It was essentially the accepted customs of each tribe. As such it has no place in our legislation | Darag |
| Absolutely not! | Grahame |
| it is MUMBO JUMBO its meaning changeable to suit what ever you want it to mean to gain what ever you want | Les W |
| It’s absolutely nonsense. What rational civilized nation makes enforceable laws that are based on one particular groups “VIBE”. What a load of bollocks! Wake up NZ | Murray |
| Where is the silent majority?What the hell is happening to our country? | Peter |
| Tikanga Law must have NO place within our lelegal system. Absolutely none! | Colin |
| NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES | ROB |
| absolutely not – adopting tikanga would result in very duplicitous outcomes! | peter |
| the law of new zealand must prevail | fred |
| Not within any, legal system ! | alan |
| Absolutely not!! Moari custom that differs between tribes/iwi has no place in New Zealands law. | Margaret |
| should not be mentioned….. | john |
| Tikanga is stone age nonsense and not relevant to the diluted bloodlines which aspire to profit from its introduction to established law. Many activists need to look into themselves and acknowledge their true ancestry. Many need to reign in their arrogance and wonderfulness. | Peter |
| No, it should not be included in the law, it is too vague | Kyle |
| Our legal system is based on English law with no form of Maori separate entitlement | Gary |
| Having tikanga in law at best will lead to N.Z. becoming Haiti of the South Pacific with armed gangs killing & extorting everyone; at the worst lead to civil war | Derek |
| NZ is is for all | Derek |
| Tikanga can be manipulated to widely. | Mark |
| Not ever | Ian |
| And why, please tell me, are the NZ taxpayers paying for the Maori legal fees, when their corporations pay NO taxes, because they have been allowed to register them as “Charities”? | Ted |
| Tikunga is NOT a system of law . It is essentially to do with etiquette – ie social behavioural practices and customs . | Hugh |
| Never | Ray |
| Absolutely NO PLACE. Judiciary should be gaoled for such activism. It is abuse of power. | Gill |
| no way never. Are we cave men | Greg |
| This term is not able to be proven in a court of law, and so has no place in the laws of this land. Everyone is able to understand the terms ‘murder, theft, assault’, they are easily recognisable, and provable. ‘Tikanga’ means whatever you want it to mean this week in order to stay out of prison, or get another handout. It has no relevance in this country, or indeed, in this century. | TOBY |
| Judicial activism is bringing the country to its knees…this must be stopped. | Brian |
| NO NO NO! | Helen |
| Radical Maori or “other” interested parties continue and will continue to introduce a no means test to obstruct justice to their advantage. They want to achieve a “we win you lose” mentality. It all comes down to lies and intimidation. The coalition must act decisively to stop this creepng cancer. | chris |
| Tikanga will be tge zame as all tgat has gone before being an evolving definition and catch all so the sycophantics, wokes and appeasers can keep giving away all public land to the maori and then they’ll start on privately held land | Mike |
| Definitely not. I believe the Supreme Court should be disbanded immediately and all who have presided have their licences cancelled | Rod |
| Lets step out of the past with these fairy tales and act with some mature thinking | Garth |
| absolutely not ! | mike |
| There is too much ethnic superiority being pandered about | Arthur |
| Incontrovertibly NO! There is NO place for maori language in any form, in the legal system! | peter |
| I despair at the acceptance of the blatant APARTHEID that exists in NZ. | Geoffrey |
| Of course it has,along with fairies,taniwhas and aliens. Good lord where is this country going,of all the most stupid nonsense being promoted by part white people with a smidgen of Maori blood in their bodies, what will they think of next. | Peter |
| Absolutely none whatsoever! | David |
| Not at all. | Rob |
| NO, we are NOT cannibals. Just now they will decide it’s ok to EAT your neighbors | mike |
| Bullshit is hardly a legal term surely? So why should Tikanga be? | Mike |
| Nor fantasy, nor wishful thinking, nor witchcraft! | murray |
| We are all one | Dave |
| No way, the coast belongs to all of us | Mike |
| Absolutely not ! Varies from tribe to tribe and is tribalism not law. The whole idea is really stupid. | Roger |
| should definetly be removed ! | Steve |
| Absolutely not! | Bruce |
| Absolutely not. We live in the 21st century for Christ’s sake. | Murray |
| As Tikanga resides only in the mind of the Maori, and can take on multiple meanings, it absolutely has no place in law. | Phil |
| Definitely not! Overwhelming majority of New Zealanders have no idea what it would mean,our courts are based on a system that has served us well and is fair to all. | Chris |
| Tikanga was the domain of each individual chief who could change it on a whim, or be replaced by a rival chief under conquest. It was not universal as is modern law. | Murray |
| Is it only Maori can espouse ‘tikanga’ or can other ethnic groups resort to their own ‘tikanga’ to justify actions ? | Ted |
| Had enough of racial division! | Andy |
| Totally outrageous to suggest so ! ! | Hylton |
| Tikanga law based on foundations of shifting sands! | Warren |
| we are one people | Jay |
| No, none whatsoever. When Maori signed the Treaty they bought into a legal system intent on being fair to all displacing utu, cannibalism, slavery and genocide. | David |
| How can you have a word that does not exist within our legal system. | Dennis |
| Fir the obvious reasons outlined in this article | Mel |
| No its fairy tail landd | Richard |
| ONE COUNTRY, ONE PEOPLE | William |
| No | Steve |
| tikanga is just more fish hooks in the law maori gave up control and ownership of New Zealand to the govt, say no more very clear | Colin |
| Absolutely not. | Barrie |
| Only where Maori on Maori | Andi |
| No definately not at all | Barbara |
| Don’t be daft. | dave |
| Absolutely not . Not only am I fed up with this divisive rubbish from the courts, I am more aggrieved with our absolutely useless PM who through his continued indecision and posturing to favour Maori interests over democratic principles, will probably condemn both him and the party he purports to represent to political oblivion. Time he stopped listening to Mr Key who created much of this mess and actual started acting like a leader rather than just a pawn of Tea Party Maori! | Rob |
| Definitely not | Glenda |
| Absolutely not. It is fanciful stuff. | Murray |
| Tikanga is whatever the wealthy activists want it to be in order to perpetuate and grow the gravy train. This has to stop. | Frank |
| Absolutely not more racism Divide and RULE | Greg |
| Neither should ancient Anglo Saxon notions hold any power in our Modern Westminster type of Government | Brian |
| Tikanga is a cultural concept that can be interpreted in many different ways, and should not be included in our legal system | Kevin |
| What is the ‘evidence’ that something legal can be made out of something non legal. The dark ages are a long way back. | Maurice |
| Tikanga is NOT common law. | William |
| Unless Tikanga can be written down and clearly understood by all before any action then NO it cannot have any place in our legal system | Cookie |
| Sort out political judges and defund them | Anthony |
| Absolutely not! | Linda |
| absolutely not. | |
| There is no need for this. Our coastline and seabed must be for everybody to use and enjoy. The government need to pull the Supreme Court into line over these racist demands | Chris |
| Absolutely not!!! What is wrong with this Coalition Government??? Not representing the majority, that is for sure! | Pamela |
| Definitely not. Tikanga is all about returning to tribal customs some of which were pretty brutal. See the book, DIVIDING A NATION – RETURN TO TIKANGA by John Robinson. Tross Publishing. | Donald |
| The mauri is getting away with too much and without any doubts if they get control of the foreshore and seabed which they are not entitled to GOD help us we will not have any access to any of this. | Colleen |
| Tikanga has no place whatsoever in our legal system. It’s a nebulous idea which means only what a local slder says it means at the time, making a mockery of the Westminister System of law, and further making New Zealand a laughing stock amongst western civilised nations | Trevor |
| No, “tikanga” should not have any place in our legal system. It does not have the precision of interpretation required and can be “adjusted” to suit differing circumstances. It is very hard to have confidence in any Judge, at any level, and especially at Supreme Court level seeking to apply “tikanga” to a matter before them. | Peter |
| This so called ‘tikanga’ is nowhere defined other than in the minds of who attempts to use it . It does not constitute modern law and is far to vague to written into the laws of Modern NZ | William |
| Not under any bigoted circumstances, ever! | Graham |
| The treaty guaranteed orderly british law and order in NZ’ the same for everyone. Tikanga is Maori law that seems to be invented as and when convenient. Pity the grass roots Maori if this ever comes into being’ things will be back to slavery in no time. | Gay |
| Absolutely not. | Sue |
| Absolutely not. One legal system and sovereignty for ALL New Zealanders. This race-based interference is destryoing our country. | Joyce |
| Definitely not. Seems to be a very slippery term that can mean anything the activists want it to mean and that’s always to their advantage. Should never have been any part of our legal system. | Lee |
| Representation without Taxation!… Lets vote mon that! | Graham |
| The idea that tikanga (lore) can be law is preposterous. | John |
| NO NO NO …. NEVER….. NOT THEN NOT NOW | Phil |
| Absolutely not, one country, one people, one rule for all, stop the destructive seperatism that’s hellbent on ruining this beautiful land! | Jan |
| Maori activists have too much say already | David |
| Definitely not, one country, one people, one rule for all, stop the divisive insanity now! | Jan |
| OF COURSE NOT….The lovies and radicals have hijacked the country. I repeat the country is stuffed. Legal and educational institutions have fallen. GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND!!! I fear it is too late though. | Bruce |
| absolutely not | Paul |
| however I can’t see Luxon standing up to the Maori Party. He’s reneged on his pre election promises. | mike |
| One rule for all that is clear and fair. | Robert |
| No, as Tikanga is a concept that can’t be clearly defined. | Kylie |
| Its rubbish | David |
| Why do ‘special Maori’words have special meaning, for only Maori..? There should be one law for ALL RACES, WE ARE ALL EQUAL UNDER NZ LAW. | David |
| Most CERTAINLY NOT !! This is complete poppy cock and bears no place in Law. To try and use this as a basis of legality and law compares to using Nursery Rhymes and Fairytales. This is NOT what the Supreme Court ruled. Nor the CoalitionGovernment wanted . | Robyn |
| Absolutely NOT. What’s more the Coalition should immediately stop all funding of Maori claims whether for marine and foreshore claims or any to the corrupt Waitangi Tribunal. The Coalition has the majority it should stop fluffing about and use it. This period of government is really the last chance for democracy in this country and, if not taken, civil war will definitely ensue. | Alan |
| It’s a grift, pushed by a small group of radical extremists | Helen |
| Unless the useless Luxon starts to stand up for freedom and equality for all people regardless of race this country is doomed to become the South Africa of the South Pacific. | Grant |
| One people, one country. | Roger |
| Not at all | Susan |
| 100% NO. The treaty is obviously past its use by date and should be scrapped | Gareth |
| No no.no. | Beverley |
| above all the law must be certain,predictable and believable not subject to cultural norms to be interpreted to advance a racial preference. | Kerry |
| Absolutely not. I voted for National / Act to stop this-as I know many voters did. This spineless bunch have betrayed their supporters and won’t be receiving mine next time around. Removal of tikanga in our legal system is something I would literally fight for. | Stuat |
| Definitely not | Brenda |
| Definitely NOT | John |
| Tikanga is an unknowable, infinitely malleable load of indigenous nonsense that has absolutely no place in our 21st century legal system. Parliament and our Attorney General need to make this crystal clear. | Wendy |
| Belongs in the rubbish bin. | David |
| I dont understand the courts in NZ thedy seem to encourage all these Maori radicals and we are getting pushed to the background. Anything to do with the coastline and the sea is up to us all to enjoy and use. Where is the problem??? | Barbara |
| The Common person has no understand or interpretation so it is unsettled lore | Glenn |
| Absolutely not! It is not even a definitive thing and is an ideology of those who have failed to move out of the 19th century. | Hugh |
| Why does the Coalition not rule that Taxpayers funds are no longer available for claiments & claims.?? | Ray |
| The repercussions of :”tikanga” are far reaching should it be allowed to proceed. It will bring about chaos and division and the removal of democratic rights for New Zealand citizens. The Treaty was originally about equality for all citizens of New Zealand, and not any one class or race. | Dianne |
| Maori religion or Tikanga, has no place in NZ law. | Gavin |
| Keep all this cultural rubbish out of our legal and parliamentary system. The moment such mumbo-jumbo is given any status; it is opened up to reinterpretation at the will of those who have anything to gain from changing the rules. Keep to plain English, nothing else. We must move forward with all rules laid in in English – the language we all understand. | Colin |
| Parliament must rule. NOT the legal boffins | RICHard |
| I believe tikanga has no place in government The foreshore and seabed was given for all to enjoy.. The treaty was signed at the request of chiefs to end the blood shed between tribes. It has no place in modern society. | Elaine |
| No it destroys the concept of equality under the one flag of New Zealand. | Karen |
| Absolutely not, not ever. | Laura |
| No way | Kevin |
| No! We live in a democratic society and giving the foreshore to Maori would be the end of New Zealander as we know it. Maori are not ingenious to NZ so have no right to these claims. | Wayne |
| The courts are showing racial bias | Philip |
| Absolutely NOT | russell |
| Words and phrases such as this seem to mean whatever te Reo speakers want it to mean. If it doesn’t have a clear and concise definition it ha no place in legislation | Mike |
| Of course not. | Roy |
| Otherwise NZ is stuffed | Ian |
| It has no true, universal meaning. | Paul |
| I’m sick and tired of all these made up words and rights…..enough is enough this needs to be fixed | Cath |
| Absolutely not. Here we are again going down this path fighting battles to try and preserve our coastline for our families and our future use. Chris Findlayson has a lot to answer for when he changed Act to suit the Maori. | Lawrie |
| No room for debate on this one – an absolute NO | tony |
| Absolutely not. It can mean anything these greedy tribes want. Govt needs to put foreshore and seabed back under their control for all NZrs to enjoy. All these rebel maori loving judges need to be removed immediately. They are SCUMBAGS. | Allan |
| No bloody way | Laurie |
| It is undefined, and undemocratic. Everyone is equal under the law | John |
| No it shouldn’t have a place in our legal system, I’d also suggest the Activist judges on the Supreme Court that support this shouldn’t have a place in our legal system either. | John |
| We all own the waters and coastline of NZ.Maori have NO special rights, customary or otherwise. | Mike |
| Definately not | Rhys |
| Absolutely not | Peter |
| Absolutely not | Wiremu |
| None whatsoever. | Mike |
| Why the hell are some so determined to wreak racial war on our country. Was this decided by a maori judge ? | Chris |
| One country, people, laws, ownership throgh legal title as per the present system. | Colin |
| Tikanga is merely a Maori Cultural belief. If you read the NZ Law society article ” Protecting & enhancing Tikanga for future generations” you will see that Maori so called experts think Tikanga Law is superior to NZ law. Tikanga gives Maori huge power in our Law system & they will claim the seabed & foreshore & get different sentencing if it remains. For NZ to be democratic we ALL have to live under the SAME LAW! It is HUGELY important that TIKANGA is removed from NZ LAW NOW! | Sandra |
| The sea bed and foreshore belongs to everyone not just a privilege group. If can’t stop this in its tracks you might as well find another county to live in. I’ve seen how apartheid works and we can’t have this happening in NZ | Terry |
| NZ is owned by all NZers. There is no place for racial divisions. | John |
| Tikanga only benefits one “race” in NZ which is “racial” and undemocratic. NZ is a multicultural society and not a bi-cultural society. We need to be a fully democratic society. Why tax funded legal proceedings are entertained beats my understanding when only one side of the legal proceedings are funded by the tax payers yet the opposing proceedings need to be funded privately. | Keith |
| It’s just not possible ! | Nev |
| It does not have any place!! | Murray |
| No because it’s too bizarre to introduce an ill-defined notion that has no parallels into a system of common law that depends on stare decisis” ie. precedent. | boud |
| This Is infiltration of terrorists who craftily over the years have by stealth brainwashed the uninformed, the weak and given the money grabbing,back pocket immoral traitors of our sovereign and democracy the ability to ruin our country. We are already in peril and the silent ones too scared to move. It’s time to fight back! | Lynne |
| The original system will work if folk stop interfering and trying to improve it. Use as intended get on with it. Radicals to pay for improvement attempts. | mike |
| Govt.should control all coastline. | Michael |
| Definitely not | Graeme |
| No , not at all. | Michael |
| One New Zealand | Ray |
| My beliefs are that the only place for their customs rights are within their particular tribe, certainly not for other tribes, or the whole of NZ. | Ian |
| If so, what about all the other settling cultural groups expectations? | Sharron |
| The World at present has several wars raging, do we really want one here !! If certain PART MAORI ELITE keep pushing this Agenda then a physical War will be the Outcome AND there are a lot more of us then them !! | geoff |
| Tikanga, or societal lore within Maori culture, can best be described as behavioural guidelines for living and interacting with others. This has nothing to do with Common Law which is what Parliament and most NZers abide by. This continual abuse and activism by our courts is throwing away the democratic country which our ancestors fought for and built with all New Zealanders in mind. | John |
| None at all | Daphne |
| Absolutely not! | Brenda |
| Not at all | Graham |
| No, no, and bloody no. I am sick to my back teeth with all this Maori shit. And I am from Moari ancestry. This is being perpetuated by activist elite Maori for their own benefit. General Maori couldn’t care less about it, they just want to get on with their lives, and look after their families. | Peter |
| No way | Don |
| Was any less expected when NZ ditched the Privy Council? | chris W |
| Tikanga has no place within our legal system as applies to any other customs or traditions of other races. Our legal system in society is founded, governed & enacted through the Westminster model. To incorporate other cultures legal tenets would bastardise & dinish the proved Westminster system | Anthony |
| Foreshore and seabed access and ownership should be held by all New Zealanders – no tribal advantages – treaty settlements have catered for Maori discrepancies. | Peter |
| There should not be anything or any special rights for Maori in absolutely everything in New Zealand. They are no different from any other citizen in NZ. It is blatant racism to to indulge Maori with special rights and privileges over every other race. | Koreen |
| Tikanga represents a Maori belief and lifestyle. Maori can practice their Tikanga, but their beliefs should not be forced on others. | Marilyn |
| Lore and custom are not law. The danger of the Supreme Court to NZ;s democracy is now in plain sight An activist judiciary is challenging the elected Parliament,.The Coalition must move fast to assert the authority of the government. Luxon is being tested earlier than he expected. | Mary |
| Corruption in high places one of Mankind’s massive failures. | Chris |
| Maori can claim its tikanga, but don’t expect me to support this undemocratic nonsense | Bob |
| Our laws should be entirely in english and no other. The make it up as we go approach will result in war. | John |
| One country one people | DAVID |
| we are all equal before the law | john |
| It’s well passed time we were all treated the same and this so called treaty was torn up……. | Bill |
| Any change to the present legal system would lead to further division between Maori and non-Maori. One law for all New Zealanders. | Terry |
| Tikanga – customs and traditional values of Maori in NZ law. Would this include: *utu *slavery *cannibalism *property taken by force… | Henry |
| It is spiritual NOT factual. | Doug |
| One law for all | Raymond |
| No tribal anything has a place in our legal system. | John |
| 100% no – and in capitals for emphasis | Larry |
| Definitely not | John |
| The law must be clear, predictable and apply equally to everyone. Tikanga does not meet those criteria. The Supreme Court must be reined in. | Trevor |
| 100% no. | Stuart |
| How ridiculous that we are being almost held to ransom by Tribal laws and rules from a what was stone age primitive people and customs, shame on former NZ governments for putting New Zealanders in such a unbelievable circumstance in modern NZ year 2024.l am astounded at the weak, corrupt and foolish politicians who have left us in such a perilous situation. | Paul |
| Absolutely Not. More divisive than helpful. | caren |
| I’m sick to death of this race privileged crap. I’m a pensioner. If I could afford to live ANYWHERE else, I’d leave this country. I’m so over the Marxist agendas. | Grant |
| tikanga might well have been concieved by herr goebbells .nothing but mumbo jumbo made up propoganda.very disappointed with luxon! | chris |
| It seems crazy that our most senior court is trying to sabotage Parliamentary sovereignty. The Government needs to act quickly and decisively so this insurrection does not spread. | David |
| It is clear that Maori sovereignty activists are now in control of the Supreme Court, led no doubt by the former head of the Waitangi Tribunal Justice Joe Williams. He has been clear about his intention to introduce Maori law into New Zealand. The Government should by now have worked out a strategy to stop this happening. | Maureen |
| Tikanga cannot be defined so it has no place in a rule of law country. Our justice system depends on the law being certain and predictable. Tikanga is the opposite. It needs to be removed NOW, while that is still possible! | Paul |
| Absolutely not. No-one knows what tikanga means – it can be made up and no-one would know any different. Making it a key part of our law is utter madness. | Gordon |
| Bring back the Privy Council! | Simon |