Te Pāti Māori punishment 'not taken lightly'
Privileges Committee chair Judith Collins said the behaviour of Te Te Pāti Māori MPs was intimidating and the worst she had seen. Photo: RNZ
The head of Parliament's powerful Privileges Committee says the decision to impose an unprecedented punishment on Te Pāti Māori MPs over a protest haka was not taken lightly.
The committee's government members want co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer suspended for 21 days and MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke to face a seven-day suspension.
The trio stood in front of ACT MPs and performed a haka in protest of the Treaty Principles Bill during its first reading.
Committee chair Judith Collins said their behaviour was intimidating and the worst she had seen. She also criticised Ngarewa-Packer for appearing to point her finger at the ACT MPs like a gun.
"We've never had penalties like this in this Parliament before, but that's because we've never seen this sort of behaviour during a vote in the House. I've never seen anything like it. This was a very sad day for Parliament."
Labour, Green and Māori Party committee members have condemned the penalties, saying they are far too harsh and mean the MPs will not be in Parliament for the Budget.
But Collins said interrupting Parliament during a vote was a very serious matter and the committee's majority decision was a reminder that MPs must obey the rules.
"It's really important for every MP to think about this. It is an absolute privilege to do that job. That is why to try and stop and interrupt a vote of Parliament while members of Parliament are trying to cast their votes in a debate is an extremely serious matter. We have not done this lightly.
"That's why people should behave in Parliament."
Collins this morning told RNZ the committee did not add any time onto its suspension for Māori Party co-leaders for refusing to stand before the committee.
She said waiting six months to deliver its recommendation was unprecedented, and could not wait any longer just because the Budget was coming up.
"We waited six months on this. We have gone through every option to try and engage with the three MPs. If we stopped our deliberation on the basis that there is a very important vote coming up... We may never get to have that deliberation."
ACT leader David Seymour questioned whether the punishment was tough enough.
"What we've seen is people grossly breach the conditions of Parliament, refuse to show up to the hearing, and then leak the contents of select committee proceedings to try and further mock the people's Parliament.
"I think, all things considered, they've got off pretty lightly."
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick called the suspension "utterly ridiculous" and a "gross punishment".
Parliament should be aspiring to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi and consistently celebrate haka and te reo Māori, she believed.
The Privileges Committee's decision will be voted on next Tuesday, with government MPs expected to back the suspensions.
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"Without Te Tiriti o Waitangi, there is no constitutional right for the presence of the Crown in this part of the world. "Without the constitutional right, there is no Parliament." New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters is a harsh critic of Te Pāti Māori. There was a sense that the pot was boiling over as Peters, himself a member of the Privileges Committee, launched into Te Pāti Māori MPs. "No ordinary Māori, Māori, or non-Māori should accept the behaviour or the intent of this party of absolute extremists, screaming out that everybody else in the Parliament is here only by their behest. "Have a look in the mirror. Mr Ferris, look in the mirror. What is the majority of your DNA? What's the majority of your DNA? Well, if you're disgraced by your European DNA, we over here are not. We are proud of all sides of our background because we are New Zealanders first and foremost. As for blood quantum, if the cowboy hat wearer is an example of blood quantum, I'm going to a new biology class." Winston Peters speaks in the debate on the Privileges Committee's majority recommendation of parliamentary suspensions for three Te Pāti Māori MPs. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Labour's Willie Jackson also focused his speech on Te Pāti Māori, playing what could be called the role of 'good cop' and encouraging them to compromise. "You know I love you, but a little bit of compromise could help the situation... I know it's hard to apologise, but I want to say to you Te Pāti Māori that not every single Māori in the country supports you and they don't support some of the strategy. "They love you, I love you, but some of the stuff is not going down well. "This is the centre and a celebration of the Westminster system, and I think our challenge - as, I think, you know - is that we have to imbue some of our Māori culture into the system. 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Each party in this House might think they're winning by talking to the people that support them, but there are no winners in this debate - none - especially not this House. "The Privileges Committee of the future will have a new precedent, without a doubt - a new range of penalties against members who err in the future. You can guarantee that. "You can also guarantee that Governments of the day, in the future, will feel very free to use those penalties to punish their opponents. "This is what we are doing in the House today." The House also heard from the ACT party, who the Te Pāti Māori performed the haka in front of. One of the key points of contention was whether the ACT MPs were victims of intimidation. All three ACT MPs who spoke certainly thought so, with Karen Chhour, who compared the debate to an HR meeting. "I've listened to the speeches across this House, and the hate and the anger that's been chucked from both sides of this House, and it actually really saddens me - it really saddens me. Somebody can say that I don't have the right to stand here and speak, but that's what this place is about. "Four and a half years ago, when I had the privilege of being elected into this place, I felt that burden of what was expected of me when I came to this place, to represent the people that I wanted to come here to make a better life for." "This is what the Privileges Committee is there for - sort of like our HR, where we sit down and we discuss what the issue was and, hopefully, can come to a medium ground where there is a little bit of contrition shown from those who have had the accusations brought to them, and then a simple apology could be enough." Demanding an apology for behaviour found to be intimidating is actually one of the most common punishments recommended by the committee. The Committee's report noted that the MPs not meeting the Committee had no bearing on their decision. As in most courtrooms, where the accused have the chance to represent themselves. All three Te Pāti Māori MPs in question spoke during the debate. Rawiri Waititi used his speech to not only defend his and his colleague's position but as a rallying cry. Rawiri Waititi speaks in the debate on the Privileges Committee's majority recommendation of parliamentary suspensions for three Te Pāti Māori MPs. Photo: VNP / Louis Collins "Turn our rage into power and make this a one-term Government. Enrol! Vote! If you hear the haka outside these walls, add your voice. If you see injustice trending online, amplify the truth. "If you feel fear, remember fear is the coloniser's last currency. Spend it into worthlessness by standing up. You can bench my body from this house for 21 days, but you will never bench our movement." 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