Latest news with #DebbieNgarewaPacker
RNZ News
a day ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer on the longest suspension in Parliament
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii This week, Parliament took the unprecedented step of suspending both Te Pāti Māori leaders - Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi - for 21 days. Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke was suspended for seven days - but had also been punished with a 24-hour suspension on the day over a haka all three had performed in Parliament, against the Treaty Principles Bill, in November. It is against the rules of the House for members to leave their seats during a debate - which all three did. Ngarewa-Packer told Saturday Morning that the 21-day suspension, which was seven times harsher than any previous sanction an MP has faced, was not proportionate. "I think the backlash from the public, nationally and internationally, validates that," she said. Previously, the longest suspension for an MP had been three days, given to the former prime minister Robert Muldoon for criticising the speaker in the 1980s. While New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the duration of the suspension would have been lessened if the Te Pāti Māori MPs had apologised, Ngarewa-Packer said that was never requested by the Privileges Committee. "What we have here is a situation where, and some are calling it Trumpism, we've been a lot more specific - we have an Atlas agenda that has not only crept in, it's stormed in on the shores of Aotearoa and some may not understand what that means, but this is just the extension of the attack on the treaty, on the attack on Indigenous voices. "We made the point the whole way through when we started to see that they weren't going to be able to meet us halfway on anything, even a quarter of the way, on any of the requests for tikanga experts, for legal experts when we knew the bias of the committee." Ngarewa-Packer added that the Privileges Committee process was not equipped to deal with the issue. "We hit a nerve and we can call it a colonial nerve, we can call it institutional nerve... "I think that this will be looked back on at some stage and say how ridiculous we looked back in 2025." Ngarewa-Packer also added that the language from Peters during the debate on Thursday was "all very deliberate" - "and that's what we're contending with in Aotearoa". "Everyone should have a view but don't use the might of legislation and the power to be able to assert your racism and assert your anti-Māori, anti-Treaty agenda." Peters had taken aim at Waititi on Thursday as "the one in the cowboy hat" and "scribbles on his face" in reference to his mataora moko. Rawiri Waititi. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii He said countless haka have taken place in Parliament but only after first consulting the Speaker. "They told the media they were going to do it, but they didn't tell the Speaker did they?" Peters added that Te Pāti Māori were "a bunch of extremists" and that "New Zealand has had enough of them". "They don't want democracy, they want anarchy," he said. "They don't want one country, they don't want one law, they don't want one people." Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
New Zealand MP trio handed record suspensions over haka protest
New Zealand 's parliament temporarily barred three Māori MPs for performing the haka to protest a controversial law, resulting in record suspensions for Rawiri Waititi, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, and Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke. The suspensions, the longest in the country's history, were criticised by the suspended MPs, who declared that "Māori would not be silenced," and by the Labour party, which called the decision inconsistent with New Zealand's democracy. The MPs performed the haka in parliament in November before a vote on a bill that would have reinterpreted the 185-year-old Treaty of Waitangi, with video of the protest going viral. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke criticised the suspension as an effort to silence the Māori in parliament. Judith Collins, the committee chair, defended the decision, stating it was about following parliamentary rules.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Three New Zealand MPs suspended for performing haka in parliament
Māori Party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were handed a suspension for 21 days while New Zealand's youngest MP, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, was barred for seven days. The suspensions marked the longest period any lawmaker has been barred from parliament in the country's history. Suspensions of MPs are already rare in New Zealand and a three-day suspension has been previously handed. Only three MPs have been suspended in the past 10 years, according to New Zealand parliamentary services. The suspended MPs said 'Māori would not be silenced'. The opposition Labour party said the decision was inconsistent with New Zealand's democracy. The three MPs performed the haka last November in parliament ahead of a vote on a bill, now defeated, that would have reinterpreted the 185-year-old Treaty of Waitangi, which was signed between the British and Indigenous Māori tribe. The video of the protest, a ceremonial Māori dance made world-famous by the country's men's rugby team, the All Blacks, went viral across the internet and made international headlines. The footage showed Ms Maipi-Clarke, 22, ripping apart a copy of the bill after rising from her chair and performing the haka. Ms Maipi-Clarke was then joined by Mr Waititi and Ms Ngarewa-Packer in the chamber floor as they chanted 'Ka Mate', the chant often performed by the All Blacks rugby team before games. Lawmakers who decried the performance said the legislators from Te Pati Māori, the Māori Party, left their seats and strode across the floor toward government politicians and disrupted the vote on a proposed law. Ms Maipi-Clarke criticised the suspension and said it was an effort to silence the Māori in parliament. "A member can swear at another member, a member of cabinet can lay their hands on a staff member, a member can drive up the steps of parliament, a member can swear in parliament, and yet they weren't given five minutes of suspension," she said. "Yet when we stand up for the country's foundational document, we get punished with the most severe consequences. "Are our voices too loud for this house? Is that the reason why we are being silenced? Are our voices shaking the core foundation of this house? The house we had no voice in building … We will never be silenced and we will never be lost," she said. In a dramatic display, Mr Waititi held up a noose as he said the decision means 'you've traded the noose for legislation'. "In my maiden speech, I talked about one of our [ancestors] who was hung in the gallows of Mt Eden Prison, wrongfully accused," he said. "The silencing of us today is a reminder of the silencing of our ancestors of the past, and it continues to happen. "Well, we will not be silenced." Judith Collins, the committee chair, said the behaviour was egregious, disruptive and potentially intimidating, defending the decision. "It's not about the haka … it is about following the rules of parliament that we are all obliged to follow and that we all pledged to follow," Ms Collins said. Labour parliamentarian Duncan Webb said the decision was "inconsistent with the fundamental nature of this democracy". "This decision is wildly out of step with any other decision of the Privileges Committee," Mr Webb said.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Suspended Te Pāti Māori MPs to embark on national tour
Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipa-Clarke was among those to perform a haka, at Parliament, after the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill, on 14 November, 2024. Photo: RNZ/ Samuel Rillstone Te Pāti Māori says it will continue to stand its ground as three MPs begin their record suspensions. On Thursday night, Parliament dealt its harshest ever punishment by suspending co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer for 21 days, and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke for seven. The trio were sanctioned for their actions during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill in November . Parliament's privileges committee deemed the haka the MPs performed could have "intimidated" others . Government parties supported the recommended suspension. Labour agreed they should face some sanction, but disagreed with the length of time the committee had landed on. Speaking to media after their suspension was handed down, the MPs said they planned to use their time away from the House to organise. "We're going to go home and show that we stood our ground," Ngarewa-Packer said. The party now has the Regulatory Standards Bill in its sights, and will use its time away to encourage supporters to make submissions against it. Party president John Tamihere told Midday Report the party was feeling "very chipper" and the co-leaders would embark on a national tour. "What we've got to do is just get out on our streets, in all our pā up and down the country, activate, organise and that's where we're going now." Accusing Parliament of being a "very unhealthy place" for Māori, Tamihere said the MPs would apologise once it was made clear what they would be apologising for. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone "If you're saying we should apologise for bringing the tikanga that displays our reo, which is the haka, into the House... see, we're not here to just appear for tourists. We're not here to start a rugby game, you know? "We are here to display and practice who we are and what we are. We do that 24/7, and we don't do it because somebody says, 'No, when you walk in that Parliament you've got to stop being a Māori,' for goodness sake." Waititi said there were "many tools in the tikanga basket" when it came to opposing further legislation. "It will be deemed, and probably sanctioned, by tipuna who guide us in our wairua, in our ngākau, and the people who guide us outside. They sent us in to be the unapologetic Māori voice. Māori voice means that everything that we have in our kete kōrero will be used." He said Thursday's debate got "pretty ugly and sad", referencing Winston Peters' "scribble" jab at his mataora . "I would be ashamed," Waititi said. "If I was his mokopuna, to look over those clips and to hear him denigrate not only something that was handed down by his ancestors, but also him as a future ancestor the legacy he will leave for his tamariki-mokopuna. I'm saddened by that, but also I feel ashamed that his family have to wear that legacy." Peters agreed the debate was sad, though for different reasons - telling Morning Report Te Pāti Māori's behaviour was unprecedented and unforgivable. Te Ururoa Flavell. Photo: Aotearoa Media Collective Te Ururoa Flavell, Te Pāti Māori co-leader from 2013 to 2018, said he was disappointed at the outcome, but it was inevitable. "Māori and haka, that is part of who we are and what we do, as an expression of a message. No different to giving a speech in the House and pointing the finger at people. You sort of think, where's the consistency here?" he asked. "Our people understand the protocols that go with various places. Our marae are run by tikanga and protocols about what you can and can't do. And we also know that there are consequences of actions, both for better or for worse. "That's never an issue - the issue here is when you line it all up, you'd say that the three MPs were dealt with very, very harshly and unfairly." Flavell said Parliament had come a long way from the days where MPs could not speak te reo in the House, but even that was hard fought for. He said Parliament allowed waiata and even Christmas carols, despite not being in the rules, but with an acceptance they were in the spirit of the occasion. "Really, can we get to a point in time to accept that Māori are tangata whenua of this land? Can we not get to a time and have a conversation about actually accepting that kaupapa Māori is okay in this land and in the halls of Parliament, for goodness sake, and to allow it to happen on appropriate occasions?" Flavell said a debate about tikanga in the House was long overdue, but said any debate must run alongside education. "I hope that we learn from the history and allow the debate to happen, but let's do it fairly, not in the sense of allowing every party to have their vehicle. That will move nothing, it will not move the dial, and we saw that yesterday, but allow actually, a debate to inform. "Hopefully, the committee that's digging into the whole issue of the Treaty of Waitangi will raise some of those issues. But let's have the debate. Let's allow a discussion on kaupapa Māori within the halls of Parliament, and that, I believe, will go a long way to settle some of these grievances that will not only have come up in the past, but are likely to come up in the future." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Māori Party MPs receive record bans from NZ parliament over haka protest
New Zealand's parliament has handed record suspensions to three Indigenous Māori MPs after they performed a haka to protest a controversial bill last year. Māori Party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were banned from parliament for 21 days, the longest-ever suspension, while New Zealand's youngest MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke was suspended for seven days. The three performed the haka last November ahead of a vote on a bill that would have reinterpreted the 185-year-old Treaty of Waitangi between the British and Indigenous Māori that still guides the country's policy and legislation. In footage widely shared around the world, Ms Maipi-Clarke, 22, rose to her feet, ripped up the bill and started performing a protest haka. She was joined by Mr Waititi and Ms Ngarewa-Packer, who strode on the chamber floor chanting the Ka Mate haka famously performed by the All Blacks rugby team. Ms Ngarewa-Packer was also accused of pointing her fingers in the shape of a gun at the leader of the right-wing ACT Party, David Seymour, who had proposed the bill. The trio were hauled before parliament's Privileges Committee, but refused to take part in the hearing. Supported by New Zealand's three governing coalition parties, the bans were voted on and accepted on Thursday. Ms Maipi-Clarke responded by saying Māori would not be silenced. "A member can swear at another member, a member of cabinet can lay their hands on a staff member, a member can drive up the steps of parliament, a member can swear in parliament, and yet they weren't given five minutes of suspension," she said. "Yet when we stand up for the country's foundational document, we get punished with the most severe consequences." She told parliament ahead of the vote that the suspension was an effort to stop Māori from making themselves heard in parliament. "Are our voices too loud for this house? Is that the reason why we are being silenced? Are our voices shaking the core foundation of this house? The house we had no voice in building … We will never be silenced and we will never be lost," she said. Mr Waititi held up a noose as he rose to speak in defiance of the ban on Thursday. "In my maiden speech, I talked about one of our [ancestors] who was hung in the gallows of Mt Eden Prison, wrongfully accused," he said. "The silencing of us today is a reminder of the silencing of our ancestors of the past, and it continues to happen. While the members are suspended, they will not be paid or be able to vote on legislation. Suspending MPs is rare in New Zealand's parliament, and only three have been suspended in the past 10 years, according to New Zealand parliamentary services. Before Thursday, the longest suspension was for three days, according to New Zealand representatives who spoke earlier in the day. Judith Collins, who heads the Privileges Committee and serves as attorney-general, had previously told parliament that the haka forced the speaker to suspend proceedings for 30 minutes and that no permission had been sought to perform it. The opposition Labour party called for a compromise and proposed censure instead of suspension. Labour considers the suspension to be "inconsistent with the fundamental nature of this democracy", Labour parliamentarian Duncan Webb said on Thursday. "This decision is wildly out of step with any other decision of the Privileges Committee," Mr Webb said. The parliamentary committee panel members were sharply divided over the haka protest and the lengthy punishments were advanced only because the government has more MPs in the parliament than the opposition. Inside and outside parliament, the haka has increasingly been welcomed as an important part of New Zealand life. The sacred chant can be a challenge to the viewer but is not violent. As Māori language and culture have become part of mainstream New Zealand in recent years, haka appear in a range of cultural, somber and celebratory settings. They have also been performed in parliament to welcome the passage of high-profile laws. Some who decried the protest haka in parliament cited its timing, with Ms Maipi-Clarke beginning the chant as votes were being tallied and causing a brief suspension of proceedings. She has privately apologised for the disruption to parliament's speaker, she said on Thursday. Some MPs urged their peers to consider rewriting rules about what members could do in parliament to recognise Māori cultural protocols as accepted forms of protest. One cited changes to allow breastfeeding in the debating chamber as evidence the institution had amended rules before. Thursday's debate capped a fraught episode for race relations in New Zealand, beginning with the controversial bill that the Māori Party MPs opposed. The bill, which was defeated in parliament, sought to reinterpret the Treaty of Waitangi and put the new interpretation to a public vote. It was widely seen as an attack on Māori because for more than five decades the treaty has been used to enshrine Māori rights into law. The Treaty Principles Bill sparked massive protests across New Zealand, including in a hikoi — or march — of nearly 40,000 people arriving on the steps of parliament in late November. The Māori Party, as well as other community members, have been central to organising those protests, as well as resisting the proposal inside parliament. ABC/wires
