The Treaty Principles Bill has been introduced to parliament – earlier than expected - and will now go through a six-month-long Select Committee process.
Although National has stated they will not support the bill beyond this initial public consultation, we should not assume that the Treaty Principles Bill, or its underlying intentions, will die after the select committee. The Bill could be picked up as a citizen-initiated referendum or be taken to the next election negotiations with the momentum built through this process. The lengthy select committee period provides Act with a runway to build their base and build support for the Bill and the ideas it promotes.
Act’s ambition is for a referendum. While referendum campaigns might seem like direct democracy in action, they can be hugely divisive, as we have seen with Brexit and the recent Australian Voice to Parliament. Bad actors can manipulate and confuse voters with misinformation and disinformation. Fear-based tactics can be used to stir mistrust and increase polarisation. Complex issues can be easily distorted and reduced to a false ‘us vs them’ choice.
We wanted to understand what might happen in Aotearoa if the Treaty Principles Bill went to a referendum decision, and we wanted to know how to respond to the division and negativity the Treaty Principles Bill is generating. So, for our October Lunch and Learn session, we dialled a friend in Australia…
Highlights from our kōrero with Adam Knobel
Australian social justice advocate Adam Knobel is the Deputy CEO of Australian Progress. Adam was the Digital Campaign Director at YES Equality (the campaign for Australian Marriage Equality) and Communications Director at Yes23 (the yes campaign for The Voice to the Australian Parliament referendum).
Adam shared insights from his campaigning experiences in Australia and Taiwan that shed light on how campaigns play out in referendums on social issues. Here are the key takeaways from a discussion that was sobering but also hopeful and empowering.
1. Social issue referendums are very different to elections.
Referendums are at the scale of election campaigns but they require a very different style of campaigning. Citizen ballots on social or human rights issues are a national conversation over a long period. This creates more opportunities for bad actors and divisive information, which can be very painful for the people whose rights are at stake.
For many voters, the stakes feel higher in a referendum. They’re not just making a choice between politician or party A or B, but choosing between yes, no or the status quo. Undecided voters who feel overwhelmed and confused often default to the status quo, and for Aotearoa that could be a good thing - the current Treaty principles are our status quo and many people may see no reason to opt for change.
2. Negative campaigning backfires.
If we fight negativity with negativity we’re falling for a trap. If we attack Act’s position as racist or discriminatory, people who are undecided or may be somewhat swayed by the Treaty Principles Bill messaging may feel alienated or attacked. The more we use negative language to attack the Bill, the more we feed division and polarisation. As the debate becomes more heated and inflammatory, the more entrenched people become in their positions and the harder it becomes to find common ground.
3. The challenge
In her book Doppelganger, Naomi Klein introduces the concept of ‘pipiking’ to describe the phenomenon where one individual’s identity is stolen or confused with another, particularly in a digital context. She examines how certain political or social movements can be appropriated or mirrored by opposing forces to create ideological confusion. For example, far-right movements might borrow language or tactics typically associated with the left – such as speaking about freedom or rights – repurposed in ways that invert these values.
We can see pipiking at work on Act’s Treaty Principles website, which tells us that the Bill “would confirm in law that all New Zealanders have equal rights, as promised by the Treaty of Waitangi” and, “Act believes every child born in New Zealand deserves the same respect and dignity, including equality before the law”. It is difficult to argue against this messaging without assuming an apparently negative position. It is much easier to argue that the Bill will provide ‘equal rights for all’ than it is to present a more nuanced argument that requires an understanding of the historical and social context of Te Tiriti the various ways that it offers us all a model of partnership and protection that upholds the mana of people and the environment.
4. The antidote to hate is connection
As Marshall Ganz says, a winning campaign needs head (strategy), heart (story) and hands (people taking action). We have seen, and will continue to see, an intensive, well-resourced, slick campaign designed to drive a wedge between us and unpick years of progress and positive change. But this is a top-down campaign and we can counter it by working from the grassroots up.
Storytelling is a powerful tool. Adam advocates for building connections through respectful conversation. Rather than entering into arguments, speak from the heart - share with people why you believe in upholding Te Tiriti, and draw on your experiences and shared values, not facts, figures or policies.
Adam shared that in the marriage equality campaign,
“We used to remind ourselves no matter what happens the next day, we all still have to live in the same country. So, you share personal stories. You invite connection and try to build empathy. You smile when talking to people on their doorstep. You encourage questions and civil conversation. You stay light, open, and mindful of your tone.”
We are so grateful to Adam for sharing his experience and knowledge with such generosity and openness. Ngā mihi nui e hoa.
Questions to reflect on
- How can we support as many people and organisations as possible to engage in civil, respectful and positive conversations that invite connection and build connection?
- How can we all use our power to stand for Te Tiriti and create Te Tiriti-normalising conversations?
- How can we counter messaging that preys on a fear-based scarcity mindset, that cloaks itself in positive-sounding words like equality and fairness but works against equity, care and the common good?
Resources
- Te Tiriti Conversation Guide - Groundwork
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi: A community perspective - E Tangata
- A Te Tiriti reading (and watching and listening) guide - The Spinoff
- Te Tiriti-based Futures has a great collection of Te Tiriti and anti-racism resources
- Deep Canvassing - a method for building human connection as an antidote to hatred.
- Follow Toitū Te Tiriti on instagram or facebook
Join our next Lunch and Learn session
Te Tiriti in Practice: Navigating the Journey from Document to Daily Practice
Friday 22 November 1-2pm
