Speaking as a private citizen, Fiona Mackenzie delivered a forceful submission before Parliament’s Justice Committee in support of the Treaty Principles Bill.
Criticising media coverage of Te Pāti Māori’s recent hikoi, she said: “TV interviews with protesters featured generic statements like ‘we’re standing up for Māori.’ However, there were no probing questions about what this truly means.”
Mackenzie argued that Māori are not a homogeneous group and don’t need others speaking for them.
“Unfortunately, separatists insist their narrative is the only one. If any Māori dare to voice a different perspective, they’re accused of not being Māori enough—as we’ve seen in Parliament. This harassment reeks of authoritarianism.”
She warned that race-based policies were eroding democracy:
“Sadly for all of us, the plan for some sort of tribal-based dictatorship seems to be coming together—control the water, the coast, natural resources, resource consents, and concession renewals, and you control the people. Whether it’s contemporary treaty claims, different forms of democracy, co-governance partnerships, undefined principles, tikanga-based consultations, or simply race-based priority, the result is much the same—the destruction of our democracy.”
Her testimony was met with an astonishing response from Green MP Steve Abel, who dismissed her argument by fixating on her skin colour.
“…as a white person…” he declared, “Our entire presence and privilege here is off the back of the theft and taking of resources from tangata whenua.”
Mackenzie rejected his racial framing:
“I do not identify as a white person. I identify as a New Zealander.”
Abel doubled down:
“But you are a white person.”
“How do you know that?” Mackenzie asked.
“Mate, I can see your colour,” the MP stated.
The committee chair shut down the exchange, but not before Abel’s crude racial essentialism exposed the very division and authoritarianism Mackenzie had warned against.
Centrist Ltd.