Treaty principles

National Leader Don Brash wants to do awaywith "vague and undefined references to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi". He says

There is surely no need whatsoever for other public servants, or for school teachers, or for nurses, or for Auditors-General, to subscribe to a particular view of what the Treaty implies. The next National Government will make it clear that a knowledge of the Treaty and its supposed principles will not be a condition of employment for people working in the public sector.

Don Brash will be pleased to know that most public servants are ignorant of the principles of the Treaty. Perhaps some teachers are a bit more clued up. So "a knowledge of the treaty and its supposed principles" can hardly be a condition of employment for working in the public sector.

Look, some public servants do not even know the difference between legislation and policy. Most don’t even know the distinction between the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. Many people think the Cabinet is where the booze is kept and some don`t even know the name of their Minister.

So how are they to have a knowledge of the treaty and its principles, important as it may be?

We not only need a debate on what these principles are - even if Winston's treaty principles deletion bill does become law - we need to clarify whether the Treaty has, what No Right Turn calls constitutional significance.

Don Brash obviously doesn't think the Treaty has constitutional significance, so why doesn't he articulate that in National Party policy?