Te Tiriti, Equality and the Future of New Zealand Democracy

Dominic Sullivan

• Publisher: Auckland University Press
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9781776712175
• Subtopic: Democracy

In this major work, the leading Maori political scientist Dominic O' Sullivan draws on theories of republicanism and the commonwealth to challenge understandings of Te Tiriti as a partnership between races, or between Maori people and the Crown. O' Sullivan also critiques the idea that Te Tiriti created one people, assimilating Maori into colonial ways of governing. Instead, he proposes a new politics where Maori self-determination and liberal democracy, rangatiratanga and kawanatanga, complement one another to promote meaningful and culturally grounded political equality. O' Sullivan enables us to see a future for Aotearoa in which political authority and responsibility belong to everyone and should therefore work equally well for all; a country where Maori people, as much as anyone else, bring their tikanga to public life; and a society where the Crown is no longer the word we use to describe government. For scholars, policymakers and political leaders, for Maori and Pakeha, for all of us imagining a respectful and inclusive future for our island democracy, this is essential reading. In this major work, the leading Maori political scientist Dominic O' Sullivan draws on theories of republicanism and the commonwealth to challenge understandings of Te Tiriti as a partnership between races, or between Maori people and the Crown. O' Sullivan also critiques the idea that Te Tiriti created one people, assimilating Maori into colonial ways of governing. Instead, he proposes a new politics where Maori self-determination and liberal democracy, rangatiratanga and kawanatanga, complement one another to promote meaningful and culturally grounded political equality. O' Sullivan enables us to see a future for Aotearoa in which political authority and responsibility belong to everyone and should therefore work equally well for all; a country where Maori people, as much as anyone else, bring their tikanga to public life; and a society where the Crown is no longer the word we use to describe government. For scholars, policymakers and political leaders, for Maori and Pakeha, for all of us imagining a respectful and inclusive future for our island democracy, this is essential reading.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Chapter 1. Introduction
• Chapter 2. Partnership and Sovereignty
• Chapter 3. Te Tiriti’s Third Article: Understated and Important
• Chapter 4. Republicanism
• Chapter 5. Rangatiratanga, Sovereignty and the Commonwealth
• Chapter 6. Who Rules? Non-domination, Differentiated Citizenship and Participatory Parity
• Chapter 7. Why Tikanga Matters
• Chapter 8. Participatory Parity in Local Government
• Chapter 9. Tikanga, Inclusive Deliberation and the Citizens’ Assembly
• Chapter 10. Deliberation as Non-domination
• Chapter 11. Conclusion
• References
• Index