Tertiary Education Union Defends Waitangi Tribunal’s Role in Upholding Te Tiriti Accountability

AOTEAROA — The Tertiary Education Union (TEU) has launched a robust defense of the Waitangi Tribunal, following policy announcements from the ACT Party regarding the institution’s future. As reported by Waatea News on 12 September 2026, the union is warning that proposals to abolish the Tribunal would remove a critical mechanism for holding governments accountable for contemporary breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. TEU National President-Māori, Associate Professor Garrick Cooper, has condemned the proposal to restrict the Tribunal’s work to historical claims only. According to the report, Associate Professor Cooper argues that Te Tiriti remains foundational to the constitutional arrangements of Aotearoa. The union maintains that Crown breaches are not limited to the past and that modern government decisions continue to impact Māori rights and interests. The debate centres on ACT leader David Seymour’s plan to end the Tribunal’s ability to investigate current Crown policy, eventually disestablishing the body once historical claims lodged by September 2008 are resolved. However, the TEU emphasizes that the Tribunal provides an essential independent check on Crown power by bringing evidence of Treaty impacts into the public arena. Legal expertise has also been highlighted in the discussion, with Māori law expert Dr Carwyn Jones noting that examining contemporary policy was part of the Tribunal’s original role established in 1975. While political perspectives vary ahead of Election 2026—with some parties seeking to make Tribunal recommendations binding—the TEU remains focused on ensuring Māori possess the mechanisms necessary to test Crown actions against Treaty obligations in the twenty-first century.