Ngāti Kahungunu Brings 52,000-Signature Treaty Petition to Parliament by Horse

Ngāti Kahungunu has presented a petition with 52,672 signatures to Parliament, calling for a halt to Government plans to change references to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in law. RNZ

The petition arrived by horse. About 30 horses left Waimarama in Hawke's Bay and travelled south through Wairarapa to Wellington to deliver it, according to RNZ.

Ngāti Kahungunu chair Bayden Barber said the riders were aged 12 to 75, with most aged 20 to 30.

The broader context here is what those ages indicate. The range suggests an organised iwi group rather than a small team of representatives.

Only one horse entered the precinct. Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee agreed to allow one horse onto Parliament grounds for the delivery. The petition was then given to Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel to present to Parliament.

Its formal title is "Do not remove or amend Te Tiriti Principles or references in legislation". Hawke's Bay Today

The policy at issue comes from the coalition agreements. The review of Treaty references is part of New Zealand First's coalition agreement with National, and would change references to the Treaty of Waitangi in 19 laws, RNZ reported.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said the Bill covering those references will have its first reading this week before going to select committee. First reading is the first debate and vote in the House. A select committee is a small group of MPs that hears public submissions. That timetable was confirmed as the riders reached Parliament.

The broader context here is timing. The 52,000-signature petition was put before the House just as MPs are about to begin formal debate on the Bill. That sequencing is normal at Parliament, but it is deliberate. A petition does not stop a Bill, and presentation does not require the Government to pause its introduction.

Once presented by Tangaere-Manuel, the petition enters the parliamentary record and will be dealt with through the normal petitions process. The Bill, separately, will be debated at first reading and, on the minister's account, referred to select committee. That referral sets how public submissions are taken and which committee hears them.

The broader context here is what happens next. The Government will need to hold its coalition majority through first reading while handling public pressure at the same time. The decision to bring the petition by horse trek from Waimarama, and to seek the Speaker's permission for a horse on the grounds, made the handover more visible without changing its formal status. It also stayed within Parliament's orderly protest rules, where access to the forecourt is controlled and agreed in advance. For iwi and opposition MPs, the petition gives a certified number to cite in debate and at select committee. For ministers, the question is the first reading vote and then the committee process. The delivery itself settles neither.