Parliament’s justice select committee has decided to reopen submissions on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill after some people trying to submit online encountered problems with the website.
People reported issues with putting through their submissions online before the deadline at 11.59pm on Tuesday.
MPs on the Justice Committee met at 9am today and unanimously decided that the ability for the public to make submissions would reopen until 1pm on January 14.
Anyone who emailed a submission to the committee between Monday and Thursday morning — because they couldn’t do it on the website — would have the submission accepted, provided it met the other conditions for submissions.
Initial estimates on the number of submissions put it at more than 300,000 lodged online. However, this number was expected to change as committee staff worked through processing the submissions. The number eclipsed the previous record for submissions on a bill which was just over 100,000 on the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill in 2021.
Around 150,000 of the submissions were received on January 7. The Justice Committee “strongly encouraged” those wishing to make submissions to do so promptly and not to leave it until the final hours on January 14.
ACT leader David Seymour, the architect of the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, posted on social media on Tuesday night urging those unable to submit to email Parliament and ask for more time.
“This is your last chance to make your voice heard on the bill which would deliver equality before the law for all Kiwis.”
The Opposition had also earlier called on the Justice Committee to extend the deadline.
Labour spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said the party had requested a week extension to the deadline.
Te Pāti Māori said the technical failures risked undermining the democratic process.
“This kaupapa is far too important to be rushed or compromised by avoidable errors,” said co-leader Rawiri Waititi.
Issues with Parliament’s website meant many had “missed out on having their voices heard”, said the Green Party, who also urged an extension to the deadline.
The official New Zealand Parliament Facebook page said it was aware of the issues users had in accessing the website.
“These issues occurred due to an unprecedented number of users making a submission at the same time.”
Melbourne-based Rex Fowler was one of those unable to enter his submission in the hours before the deadline closed.
“I think a lot of people, with that little hurdle in the way, wouldn’t have submitted and wouldn’t be heard.”