UNDRIP an authoritative fig leaf for undermining our system of government

PremiumOpinionOpinion byJonathan AylingColumnist·NZ Herald·9 Sep, 2026 05:00 PM5 mins to readJonathan Ayling is a strategy consultant and professional director. ‌Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (left) and Rawiri Waititi are promising to restore work to bring in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. But to do so risks undermining New Zealand's system of government, Jonathan Ayling argues. Photo / Mark MitchellWhy do elections matter? Because they answer the question: “Who has the final authority to govern New Zealand?”Last month, Attorney-General Chris Bishop gave a speech to the Law Association defending one of the oldest principles of our constitutional order: “Parliament is supreme and sovereign.”

But Te Pāti