D Dawson

In reply to Erin Green’s opinion (Beacon, November 20), The Treaty Principles Bill: A Pakeha Perspective”.

First, all non-Māori are not Pakeha as there are 126 ethnicities living in New Zealand and many are not Pakeha, but we are all New Zealanders.

Ms Green’s opinion on the Treaty Principles Bill was more of a Te Pati Māori perspective, not a New Zealand perspective.

I, for one, do not believe Ms Green’s opinion on why Māori signed the Treaty of Waitangi and most New Zealanders would agree that we are not responsible for the lower life expectancy of Māori men.

Māori arrived in New Zealand by canoe and colonised New Zealand a few hundred years before ships of Europeans from Britain. The Treaty was signed in 1840, principles were added in 1975, with guidelines to settle claims.

During the previous six years of a Labour coalition government, the goal posts concerning the Treaty principles have been moved to include more claims, that in my opinion, will end up bankrupting the country and cause division and separatism.

Māori land wars were happening well before European settlers arrived and are still going on today.

The $18 million paid out to the Moriori should have been paid by Māori, not taxpayers.

I do not think the 2 percent of Te Pati Māori have anything to worry about because all David Seymour wants is for the 1975 Principles Bill to be debated.

All New Zealanders should be treated equal and have a say.