“I’m torn,” Seymour said Monday. “Let’s see what the atmosphere is like and if there is an invitation from the organizers.”

“I think if I go out there and they don’t want to give me a chance to talk and stuff, you kind of wonder what you’re doing there.”

But Seymour, who said the legislation was important in sparking a national debate about the Treaty’s place in our constitutional arrangements, said he would in principle welcome the opportunity to speak.

His Treaty Principles Bill, which seeks to clarify the principles so that their meaning in legislation can be clearly interpreted, passed its first reading last week with the support of the ruling parties. It is likely to die at second reading when National and NZ First consider withdrawing their support.

The legislation has been described as divisive by opposition MPs and hikoi members and has led to significant criticism from the likes of the Waitangi Tribunal and a broad body of King’s Counsel.

Last week’s first reading has ended with Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke behind a haka. It became a viral moment, viewed hundreds of millions of times internationally, and the result of debate in Parliament on its appropriateness.

It is not yet clear how the government will respond to the protest, including whether ministers will speak at the event or meet privately with a delegation.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said on Monday the coalition “has a plan to ensure meaningful engagement” with hikoi.

But as of Monday afternoon, the Prime Minister’s office had not provided any information to the Herald about all projects. The Prime Minister previously stated that he open to meeting a delegation of the hikoi.

Labor’s Chris Hipkins said members of his party would join the march as it moved from Waitangi Park in central Wellington to Parliament House. The party postponed its usual Tuesday caucus meeting until Monday evening so that MPs would be available.

Hipkins expected a “very diverse” crowd “expressing disappointment with the path this government has chosen”.

“It is a path that aims to divide the country. It’s a path that plays on prejudices. It is a path designed to stoke fear, anger and resentment.

However, he could not commit to speaking at the parliamentary event, saying it was up to the organizers to determine who would deliver the speeches.

Te Pāti Māori MPs have been part of the hikoi since its beginnings. One of the key figures in the Toitū Te Tiriti group who organized the protest is Eru Kapa-Kingi, son of Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and someone who works for the party.

“To be honest, there are probably a lot of people within the Toitū Te Tiriti movement who are connected to us, who work for us, who work at the marae,” said co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

“The reality is that this is something that we have, as a matter of law, the ability to do, which is to stand up for what we believe in.” We believe we should be able to be Māori, we believe we should be able to have equal rights to be Aboriginal, and everyone should live equally, with honor and peace, but not at the cost of having to defend our rights to be indigenous.

Ngarewa-Packer said she saw a program for Tuesday’s event and Seymour’s name was not on it.

“It’s not for me to say whether he’s welcome or not, I think he’s had time to speak,” she said, referring to Seymour’s opportunity to explaining the Treaty Principles Bill to Parliament last week.

Green MPs will also be part of the hikoi. The party’s justice spokesperson, Tamatha Paul, is expected to speak in Parliament.

Also in the participation will be of the Māori queen Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō. Kiingitanga’s spokesperson Ngira Simmonds said she had a “message of hope for the nation and for us to come together to overcome our current divisions”.

“The achievements of the last 50 years show what we can accomplish together as partners,” Simmonds said.

It is understood that Kīngitanga leaders would meet this evening to determine what role the Māori Queen could play.

Parliamentary security is work with the police on measures to ensure safety participants and other people in the enclosure. Barriers are already placed in front of Parliament.

An email to Parliament staff last week outlined the strict security measures that would be in place on Tuesday, including canceling public tours, allowing staff to enter only through certain entrances and banning visitors for a period. Access to the forecourt will also be restricted.

Another email posted Monday said the main entrance to the Hive would be closed until the end of the hikoi.

The House public gallery would also be closed for its Tuesday session. It had to be cleaned last week after members of the public joined in Maipi-Clarke’s haka.

“As always, remember to stay alert, stay safe, actively monitor any tailgaters and report any suspicious behavior to security immediately,” the Parliament email said.

“Please note that police have a significant operation underway and will benefit from a high level of visibility around the city of Wellington.”

Mitchell, the police minister, said police had done a lot of work to prepare for the protest, including limiting the impact on local residents and businesses.

“The hikoi organizers worked closely with the police to try to minimize disruption to members of the public as much as possible,” he said.

He could not say how many additional police officers had been brought in to help, but he said police had the resources “to deal with any situation they might be faced with.”

THE Herald On Monday afternoon, police officers were walking through Parliament with a number of what appeared to be riot shields.

Mitchell had not received any information about the risk of an occupation and said organizers had had no indication of it. The Parliament precinct was occupied for around three weeks in 2022 by hundreds of protesters opposed to Covid-19 measures.

“But certainly the police have the capacity to act and move if there is even the slightest sign that they are choosing to illegally occupy the precincts of Parliament.”

The Civil Service Commission has given advice to heads of government agencies on how to deal with the hikoi problem tomorrow.

This means that agencies must carry out their own workplace risk assessments and ensure staff are aware of the event. Staff who may have concerns – for example about expected disruption to public transport – have been asked to speak to their manager.

A reminder of the rules of political neutrality was also shared, with the main message being that public servants have the same political rights and freedoms as other New Zealanders, but must keep politics out of their jobs.

This means being politically neutral at work, but it doesn’t mean public servants can’t attend protests on their own time. However, they should not have visible signs of their association with an agency during the demonstration.

Jamie Ensor is a political journalist at New Zealand Herald press gallery team based in Parliament. He was previously a television journalist and digital producer in the Newshub Press Gallery office.