Neither National's deputy Nicola Willis nor Labour leader Chris Hipkins had a problem with Te Papa displaying the English version of the Treaty of Waitangi. Photo: RNZ
Both National and Labour have defended Te Papa's right to display an English version of the Treaty of Waitangi after it was defaced by protesters on Monday.
Twelve people were arrested yesterday after attacking the exhibition and using spray paint and an angle grinder to damage a wooden display panel.
The group Te Waka Hourua and some Māori academics want the English text on display removed, calling it a misleading mistranslation.
On her way into a caucus meeting at Parliament this morning, National's deputy Nicola Willis told reporters the protesters had gone too far.
"Protest is one thing, but defacing public property is another."
Willis said the English text was a historical artefact which belonged in a national museum.
"I don't think we do well to silence parts of our history. Debating history involves acknowledging that there is an English text of Te Tiriti."
Similarly, Labour leader Chris Hipkins told RNZ he had no problem with Te Papa displaying the English text.
"We need to make sure we continue to preserve our history, warts and all," Hipkins said.
"The two Treaty partners were working on a different interpretation of what the Treaty meant and that is actually part of our history."
Hipkins said he would expect any display to be accompanied by an explanation of the debate regarding the translations.
"This has been one of the problems: that the two versions of the Treaty actually say different things."
Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Paul Goldsmith told Midday Report the display at Te Papa was comprehensive and well done.
"They've got plenty of information ... discussions and arguments about those version. They've got a contemporary English translation in the middle ... so I think they've done a good job at explaining what is quite rightly an area of contention."
Goldsmith, who is also Treaty Negotiations Minister, said he had no truck whatsoever with the protesters' vandalism.
"By all means protest, but don't think for a moment that we have any sympathy with the idea of going out and vandalising collections of our museums or art galleries.
"It will be met with a firm response."
Speaking at his regular post-Cabinet media conference on Monday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon rejected that the protest had been driven by the government's rhetoric regarding Te Tiriti.
Luxon said New Zealand had been "wrestling" with the document over the last 180 years "to understand what was meant, who signed it, why they signed it, and what the intention was behind that".
The new Coalition government has faced widespread protest from across Māoridom in response to policies such as the removal of references to Treaty principles in legislation, and a potential referendum defining those principles.
