Sovereignty debate sees major parties weighing in for first time

Tributes are flowing from across Aotearoa and around the world after Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII died early on Friday morning. Moe mai raa e te kiingi. It ends a fortnight in which the question of whether Māori ceded sovereignty - a question as old as the Treaty itself - saw the major parties in Parliament taking stronger positions in the debate than ever before. "It was never ceded, legally or legitimately" - Indigenous rights and constitutional law expert Claire ChartersHe tai e! He tai e! He tai e tangi ana i waho o Rehua. He tai mate! Aue! E te Kingi! Te aroha nui o ō iwi, o tō waka, o te iwi Māori e māpuna ake nei i taku ngākau pōuri! Aue te mamae i te iwi e!Tributes are flowing from across Aotearoa and around the world after Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII died early on Friday morning. It ends a fortnight in which the question of whether Māori ceded sovereignty - a question as old as the Treaty itself - saw the major parties in Parliament taking stronger positions in the debate than ever before. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon last week stated in the Debating Chamber that Māori had ceded sovereignty, and "the Crown is sovereign". ACT and NZ First see the debate as a distraction, arguing what's important is moving forward. NZ First's Winston Peters constantly refers to the views of Sir Apirana Ngata as laid out in a 1922 thesis.Labour leader Chris Hipkins takes the opposing view, saying while Parliament is sovereign, that's because it was taken. It's a position the Greens and Te Pāti Māori have long held but neither he nor his predecessor Jacinda Ardern ever put on the record while in power. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details