The ACT Party's Treaty Principles Bill has led to a very contentious debate, including very large protest in Nov. 2024.  In 1840, the British and Māori signed the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi, which set forth principles for peaceful settlement by the British while protecting the rights of Māori.  However, the English and Māori texts of the document differ, which led to numerous claims over decades by Maori that the terms and promises of the treaty were not being adhered to.  Parliament finally passed the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 which established the Waitangi Tribunal to address such claims. 

ACT, a junior partner in the conservative National-led coalition government, argues that it Treaty Principles Bill would define Treaty principles in law to ensure equal rights for all.  The party and leader David Seymour maintain that, "In recent decades the courts, academics, and the bureaucracy have used a 'partnership' interpretation of the Treaty to argue there are two types of people in New Zealand – tangata whenua (land people) and tangata tiriti (Treaty people) – who each have different political and legal rights. "  Opposing the bill, Kiwis for the Treaty argues it "would undo the fundamental principle of partnership between the Crown and Māori. This would cause further mistrust, division and damage, leading to uncertainty and social disruption, which would jeopardise New Zealand’s economic, social and cultural progress. "  The "Together for Te Tiriti" campaign, led by the progressive group Action Station Aotearoa, is the source of the "Together for Te Tiriti" placards and flyers that appear in the windows of many businesses around Dunedin.

See also:
"Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill".  New Zealand Parliament.
Treaty Principles Bill.  Authorized by David Seymour MP.
kiwisforthetreaty.co.nz.  Kiwis for the Treaty.
Together for Te Tiriti.  ActionStation Aotearoa.