Neil Sands
Newly appointed Waitangi Tribunal member Philip Crump says he wants to make a positive contribution in the role and has urged critics of his selection to look beyond “caricatures”.
Better known to some by his pen-name Thomas Cranmer and for his activities as a conservative commentator and blogger, his career as a lawyer dates back almost 30 years.
After graduating from the University of Auckland, Crump began his legal career at Russell McVeagh before a lengthy stint in London, where he specialised in leveraged finance.
The respected legal directory Chambers UK said Crump was “technically superb and able to slice the Gordian knots to get results… he is praised for being super-responsive and user-friendly”.
Philip Crump
But his appointment to the Waitangi Tribunal, along with other recent picks such as former ACT Party leader Richard Prebble, has prompted Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer to accuse the government of stacking the tribunal with “pale, stale males”.
Crump said critics were free to express themselves how they wanted but he felt humbled at the “amazing opportunity” to join the tribunal.
“It’s up to me to prove myself,” he told LawNews. “People can take whatever views they want. I think when people meet me and talk to me, they’d probably come away with a different impression than, you know, caricatures.”
He added: “My approach is that I’m a new member of the tribunal. I’m a junior member and I’m one of 20 members.
“So I’m very much at the beginning of the journey and I’m here to make a contribution, not to kind of agitate for change.”
Announcing Crump’s appointment, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka described him as a lawyer “bringing considerable experience with statutory and contractual interpretation, negotiation and dispute resolution procedures”.
‘Proven its worth’
Senior coalition figures such as ACT leader David Seymour and NZ First’s Shane Jones claim the tribunal has in the past exceeded its remit on Treaty of Waitangi-Te Tiriti o Waitangi matters and its activities risk undermining Parliament’s sovereignty.
Because of his new role, Crump declined to comment on political matters and specific tribunal decisions. He also plans to remain politically neutral on his Cranmer’s Substack blog.
“Look, I think its place is pretty well set out in terms of considering historic and contemporary claims brought by Māori in relation to potential breaches of the treaty. That’s as far as I think I’d go on it,” he said.
But Crump believes the tribunal’s overall contribution since its creation in 1975 has been positive.
“It’s got an important constitutional role and I think it’s proven its worth over the last 50 years… the settlements process has had very broad support across all political parties,” he said. “I think it’s done a good job in terms of resolving a lot of claims. A lot of detailed work has gone on over the years.”
Asked about his expectations of working at the tribunal, he replied: “I’m anticipating a lot of detailed analysis, a lot of meticulous work and a lot of collaboration.”
Treaty debate
Since returning to New Zealand in 2021, Crump has increasingly focused on political commentary.
“But I don’t really see the writing as the reason I was selected [for the tribunal]… I think I’m qualified by virtue of a long and pretty successful legal career,” he said.
Crump spent a year at the Loretto School in Scotland and said it was during this period he realised his knowledge of New Zealand history was lacking.
As a result, he decided to take Māori studies as part of an arts degree while also working on his LLB at Auckland during the 1990s, including classes with Ranginui Walker and Dame Anne Salmond.
“I thought ‘I want to learn more about New Zealand history. I want to learn more about Māori culture… I really enjoyed all my Māori papers and took a lot away from them,” he said.
After many years as a commercial lawyer, Crump said the Waitangi Tribunal offered an opportunity to engage in work with “a broader scope”.
“There’s legal aspects to it, obviously. I’m interested in and follow the treaty debate and the development of treaty interpretation very closely,” he said. “I always have, because I’m a contract lawyer. So I’m interested in how these things are read.”
Crump said the tribunal was a chance to work in an environment where some of his main interests intersect and to see how the issues they raise are resolved.
“It’s a combination of law, politics and history. I’m interested in all three,” he said.
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