Summarised by Centrist
Hobson’s Pledge representatives Elliott Ikilei and Thomas Newman defended the ACT Party’s Treaty Principles Bill before the Parliamentary Justice Committee, arguing for a single sovereign Parliament and equal laws for all New Zealanders.
Newman, a civil litigator and trustee, upheld Principle One, stating that Parliament “continues to have sovereignty because it is a representative institution with members elected through free and fair elections. Sovereignty is derived from the people who are governed.”
Ikilei criticised Principle Two, which recognises specific rights for Māori under the Treaty, calling it a product of identity politics. He described the debate as a clash between “white guilt on one side and victimhood on the other”—a dynamic he argued is no way to run a country. He warned that leaving Treaty rights undefined would lead to endless legal battles, stating, “This ambiguity will perpetuate conflict and litigation—and it will be taxpayer-funded.”
While supporting Principle Three, Newman objected to the phrase “equal benefit,” arguing it could justify race-based policies like affirmative action, undermining true legal equality. He also rejected identity labels such as Pākehā or European, declaring, “My rights in this place don’t depend on a document signed in 1840.”
