Willie Jackson ejected from House during contentious Treaty Principles Bill debate

Labour’s Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson was ejected from Parliament after calling ACT leader David Seymour a “liar” during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill.

Jackson criticised the bill, describing it as a “six-month hate-tour” and accusing Seymour of promoting “misinformation”.

He asserted that Māori would resist any redefinition of their relationship with the Crown, pledging ongoing protests if the bill moved forward.

Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee requested Jackson withdraw his remark, but Jackson refused, leading to his ejection.

Seymour’s bill proposes replacing existing Treaty principles with ones that reflect equal rights for all New Zealanders.

National and NZ First will support the bill only to move it to a select committee for public input.

PM Christopher Luxon has criticised the bill as “overly simplistic”, while National’s Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka expressed concerns it failed to ensure “equal opportunity” for Māori.