Leader of the ACT Party /u/Fresh3001 met with leaders of the Te Āti Awa iwi to discuss Waitangi Day celebrations at a marae in Wellington today.

“Tēnā koutou katoa. Esteemed members of Te Āti Awa iwi, I am here today to discuss with you the issues facing Māori in New Zealand and the current way in which we celebrate Waitangi Day,” /u/Fresh3001 addressed the iwi. “I have come to speak to you, Te Āti Awa, because you reside in a region which is significant to the signing of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi. New Zealanders are far too ignorant of the fact that Māori signed Te Tiriti in places other than Waitangi - and here, in Port Nicholson as it was called in 1840, the second largest number of signatures was collected outside of Northland.

“I believe that Waitangi Day is an important occasion to recognise the wrongs committed by Pākehā towards Māori, and equally important as a time to make political statements. But I believe that such political statements are wrong when made by a group with a monopoly over the official celebrations, and for causes totally unrelated to Te Tiriti. With all respect to the Ngāpuhi iwi, it is wrong to not allow a Prime Minister to speak during Waitangi Day celebrations simply because of partisan politics. And why should Waitangi Day be held at the treaty grounds in Waitangi? Te Tiriti was signed all across the country and I believe we should celebrate Waitangi Day in the same way - a new location each year, wherever Te Tiriti was signed. Such a proposal would shed light on all iwi across Aotearoa, including Te Āti Awa. I hope I can garner some support from Te Āti Awa iwi with this proposal, tēnā koutou.”