Waitangi Tribunal widens urgent inquiry into Treaty clause review as 20 parties sign on

Tribunal warns of ‘significant and irreversible prejudice’ as stage one finds Crown in breach; wider probe yet to be heard

**Wellington** — The Waitangi Tribunal has launched an expanded urgent inquiry into the Government’s Treaty clause review. More than 20 parties have been granted interested party status as the Tribunal warns the reforms risk causing “significant and irreversible prejudice” to Māori.

The inquiry, named Te Tinihanga o Ngā Mātāpono o te Tiriti — the Treaty Principles Reform Urgent Inquiry — was granted on May 7. It followed a claim by Ngāti Hine that met the Tribunal’s “high threshold” for urgency. The inquiry covers the Government’s push to weaken Treaty references across multiple laws, going beyond the education-focused stage one report.

Parties with standing include the National Iwi Chairs Forum, the New Zealand Māori Council and the Māori Women’s Welfare League. Toitū Te Tiriti, Te Whakakitenga o Waikato, Te Puna Ora o Mataatua, Te Kōhao Health, the National Urban Māori Authority and numerous iwi and hapū groups have also been granted status.

The Tribunal’s stage one report into the Education and Training Act, released on May 15, found the Crown in breach of Treaty principles. It described the proposed changes as “as bad as the Treaty Principles Bill” and said they “may even be worse” because the Bill was never going to be enacted. The panel recommended the Government halt the reforms immediately and engage meaningfully with Māori.

The Tribunal was critical of the consultation, finding the Crown pursued a “treaty-inconsistent course” by engaging only with the National Iwi Chairs Forum after decisions were made. It called Goldsmith’s view that select committee would provide sufficient input “manifestly inadequate and an insult to Māori”.

Stage two of the urgent inquiry will continue examining the repeal of school boards’ Treaty obligations and changes to Te Mātaiaho, the New Zealand Curriculum.

What this means for Māori and Pacific communities

For Māori communities, the inquiry is a formal mechanism to hold the Crown accountable for decisions made without iwi and hapū consultation. The range of parties granted standing — from the Māori Women’s Welfare League to local hapū groups — shows how broadly the changes are felt. Pacific communities face parallel risks as Treaty protections underpinning health and education provisions are weakened.

What comes next

The second urgent inquiry into the wider Treaty clause review beyond education has yet to be scheduled. A bill codifying the changes is expected before the 2026 general election. The Tribunal’s stage one recommendations are non-binding, but legal experts expect further claims and court challenges regardless of the outcome.