The proposed bill, and the referendum it would trigger if passed into law, were at the heart of post-election negotiations. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The public has just one more day to give formal feedback on the government's controversial Treaty Principles Bill.
The legislation - that proposes to rewrite the treaty principles long-defined by the courts - has attracted widespread opposition this term.
Tens of thousands of people marched against the legislation as it passed its first reading in Parliament at the end of last year.
While it's not yet clear how many people have given formal feedback - in favour or against - it's expected the legislation will receive a lot of engagement.
Members of the public have until midnight Tuesday to make online submissions on the bill, while postal or hardcopy submissions must get to Parliament by 5pm on Wednesday.
It comes as thousands of mourners pay their respects to the late Dame Tariana Turia at Whangaehu Marae near Whanganui.
November's opposition hīkoi to the Treaty Principles Bill was inspired by Dame Tariana's advocacy for Māori rights, hīkoi organiser Eru Kapa-Kingi has said.
Last day for feedback on Treaty Principles Bill
Dame Tariana is perhaps best known for her split from Labour over the Foreshore and Seabed Act, which led to a protest march on the Beehive in 2004.
The Justice Committee will consider the public submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill as it formulates its report back to Parliament.
This report will include recommendations, including whether the bill should proceed and what amendments could be made.
National has promised to support the legislation through its first reading but no further, as part of its coalition agreement with the ACT Party.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has repeatedly said it will not pass a second reading but some believe the bill has already greatly damaged Crown-Māori relations and could undermine decades of progress.
It's expected oral hearings on the controversial legislation would be finished by the end of February, while the total committee process would take six months.
The Justice Committee considered a record amount of feedback in 2021, after receiving more than 100,000 submissions on the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill.
Use your own words for submissions - legal expert
Andrew Geddis Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Otago University Professor of Public Law Andrew Geddis told Morning Report he expected "tens of thousands" of submissions.
He also predicted there would be even more than the 36,000 submissions received for the End of Life Choice Bill because the Treaty Principles Bill had aroused so much "public interest and disquiet".
Another reason there were would be a high number was that both sides had organised group submissions rather then leaving them to individuals.
If people wanted to share their views they must go to the Justice select committee website and download a template. Individual emails would not be accepted.
However, if submitters got together and expressed the same feedback by copying and pasting the select committee would view that as one submission, Geddis said.
"The submission doesn't have to be long ... The important thing is if you want it to be counted you should put it in your words ... otherwise, the committee will treat it as being a copy of someone else's words."
Submission deadline could be extended - expert
Legal expert and Otago University professor Andrew Geddis said there could be grounds for extending the deadline for submissions.
He said the bill was one of the most important pieces of legislation this Parliament was likely to deal with, and the select committee might need to reconvene to assess the situation.
"The fact that so many people are wanting to take part shows how significant it is," he said.
It could be a sign further investment was needed in technology systems.
"If the system is crashing simply because people are trying to exercise their democratic right ... that's a signal that more money needs to be spent on Parliamentary IT."