More than 40-thousand people have marched on New Zealand’s parliament in support of Maori rights. Demonstrators say a divisive bill aimed at reinterpreting the country's founding treaty document would diminish the hard won rights of first nation's people.
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00:00The end of a long journey, the passion undiminished, setting off from the far north last week and
00:13growing along the way, the march, or hikoi, arrived at parliament in Wellington, numbering
00:19in the tens of thousands. They oppose a bill introduced by a minor party in the coalition
00:27government that aims to reduce the influence the Waitangi Treaty has on shaping New Zealand
00:32law.
00:33We are taking the treaty to a place where everyone owns the constitutional future of
00:37this country, not just a minority of self-appointed experts.
00:41The ACT Party argues the 184-year-old treaty signed between the British and Indigenous
00:46Maori discriminates against non-Indigenous citizens. The party's Treaty Principles Bill
00:53passed its first reading on Thursday after opposition parties performed the haka in parliament
00:59and ripped up a copy of the legislation.
01:03The bill is not expected to become law, but critics say it's part of a wider movement
01:09to dilute the rights of Maori.
01:11A lot of the actions coming out of parliament lately haven't been suffice for Maori, I guess,
01:16and part of today is reminding the relationship between Maori and Crown.
01:21I'm here to support, you know, our treaty, honour the treaty, you know, the government
01:26just trying to take over and take everything from us.
01:30A movement with its roots in the past, determined to protect Maori future.