From midwifery to internet governance, pharmacy regulations, and others, many industry bodies are embedding partisan ideological commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi into their rules.
Critics argue that this is often at the expense of professional competence and neutrality.
Midwives are now expected to pledge allegiance to Treaty principles, with the New Zealand College of Midwives circulating a Tangata Tiriti Checklist urging non-Māori midwives to “actively and vocally oppose the Treaty Principles Bill and any other disrespect toward the legal and political status of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”
The checklist also calls for midwives to “share power, or cede power to mana whenua” and support a “Tiriti-centred constitution.” ACT MP Todd Stephenson has criticised this shift, arguing that midwives’ responsibility should be to their patients, not political activism.
InternetNZ, which manages the .nz domain registry, is pushing a new constitution that mandates co-governance, requiring at least a third of its board to be Māori and barring members who do not support its Treaty-centric mission. In response, membership reportedly tripled within a week, as critics joined to vote down what they see as an ideological takeover and a threat to democratic governance.
Don Brash of Hobson’s Pledge warns that this could lead to ideological gatekeeping in internet governance, potentially jeopardising access to domain names for organisations that dissent from this worldview. Hobson’s Pledge also backed realtor Janet Dickson’s failed court challenge after she lost her licnese for five years for refusing a mandatory Māori tikanaga course.
The health sector is also seeing a push for cultural mandates. The New Zealand Pharmacy Council has introduced requirements for pharmacists to be “confident” in performing waiata, prioritising Māori voices, and integrating Māori health models into their practice. Meanwhile, psychologists are being directed to challenge colonisation.
Critics argue that these expectations distract from core medical expertise, raising concerns about declining professional standards.
Centrist Ltd.