If you want to develop your listening skills, try these tasks as you listen to the text. The answers are at the bottom of this page, after the Vocabulary. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.
If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the text.
1. Listening for main ideas
First, just listen to the text, taking notes if you wish. What information can you catch during this first listening?
2. Now listen again and answer the following questions:
- What happened in Parliament on Thursday?
- Who supported the bill?
- What reasons against the bill did some politicians give?
- What was the result of the vote?
- What took place in November 2024?
- What details does the speaker give about the written submissions on the bill?
- What details does the speaker give about the oral submissions on the bill?
- David Seymour has fully accepted the result of the vote. T / F
Text
(for recording only, don’t copy in post) Monday 14 April 2025 Treaty Principles Bill rejected
The Treaty Principles Bill was voted down in Parliament on Thursday after its second reading, so it will not become law.
Only the ACT Party supported the bill on Thursday. David Seymour, the leader of ACT, explained in his speech in Parliament why he thought it was important for Parliament to define the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, or the Treaty of Waitangi. However, politicians from all the other parties spoke against the bill. Some said that it misrepresented the principles of Te Tiriti and that it was too simplistic and created division. Others stated that ACT’s view that Māori have special rights is incorrect because they are often disadvantaged socially and economically. The members of Parliament then voted, and the result was 11 for the bill and 112 against it.
The Treaty Principles Bill provoked a lot of debate and anger over the last six months. There was a hikoi (which means a march or walk) against it in November, with more than 42,000 people marching to Parliament to protest against the bill. After the first reading of the bill in Parliament, it was sent to the Justice Select Committee to consider and to hear public submissions on it. The bill received approximately 300,000 written submissions, which is the highest number ever received for a bill. Of those, 90 percent were opposed, 8 percent supportive, and 2 percent did not state their view. The committee heard 529 oral submissions, amounting to over 80 hours, over a period of five weeks. 85 percent of oral submissions were opposed, 10 percent were supportive, and 5 percent unstated. As a result, the Justice Committee recommended to Parliament that the bill should not proceed.
However, David Seymour said that he accepts the result for now but that ACT will reconsider their approach before the next election.
To learn more about this topic, listen to Protest against the Treaty Principles Bill from 18 November.
Vocabulary
vote down – to defeat a bill by voting
misrepresent – to give a wrong description of a situation or someone’s opinions
simplistic – treating difficult subjects in a way that is too simple
provoke – to cause a reaction or strong feeling
protest – to come together in public to express disagreement or opposition to something
Select Committee – a group of Members of Parliament who are responsible for looking at an area of government activity
oral – spoken
Answers
a. What happened in Parliament on Thursday?
The Treaty Principles Bill was voted down in Parliament after its second reading, so it will not become law.
b. Who supported the bill?
Only the ACT Party (including David Seymour: leader of ACT)
c. What reasons against the bill did some politicians give?
- It misrepresents the principles of te Tiriti.
- It’s too simplistic and has created division.
- ACT’s view that Māori have special rights is incorrect because they are often disadvantaged socially and economically.
d. What was the result of the vote?
11 for the bill and 112 against it
e. What took place in November 2024?
A hikoi (which means a march or walk) against the bill, with more than 42,000 people marching to Parliament.
f. What details does the speaker give about the written submissions on the bill?
The bill received approximately 300,000 written submissions, which is the highest number ever received for a bill. Of those, 90 percent were opposed, 8 percent supportive, and 2 percent did not state their view.
g. What details does the speaker give about the oral submissions on the bill?
The committee heard 529 oral submissions, amounting to over 80 hours, over a period of five weeks. 85 percent of oral submissions were opposed, 10 percent were supportive, and 5 percent unstated.
h. David Seymour has fully accepted the result of the vote. T / F He has accepted it for now.