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The Journal
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Journal
New Zealand parliament gives record bans to Maori MPs over last year's protest haka
Associated Press / YouTube NEW ZEALAND'S PARLIAMENT has handed record-long suspensions to three Indigenous Maori lawmakers who last year staged a protest haka on the debating floor. Maori Party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were banished from parliament for 21 days, the longest-ever suspension. Fellow Maori Party lawmaker Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand's youngest current MP, was suspended for seven days. The bans stem from a haka performed during voting in November on the contentious Treaty Principles Bill, which sought to redefine the principles of a key pact between Maori and the government. Waititi held up a noose as he rose to speak today in defiance of the ban. 'In my maiden speech, I talked about one of our (ancestors) who was hung in the gallows of Mt Eden Prison, wrongfully accused,' Waititi said. 'The silencing of us today is a reminder of the silencing of our ancestors of the past, and it continues to happen. 'Now you've traded the noose for legislation. Well, we will not be silenced.' Although performed on many different occasions, haka are often used as a kind of ceremonial war dance or challenge to authority. New Zealand's foreign affairs minister Winston Peters earlier mocked Waititi for his traditional full-face Maori tattoo. Advertisement 'The Maori Party are a bunch of extremists, and middle New Zealand and the Maori world has had enough of them,' said Peters, who is also Maori. 'The one that's shouting down there, with the scribbles on his face… can't keep quiet for five seconds.' Maipi-Clarke, 22, sparked the affair as parliament considered the highly contentious Treaty Principles Bill in November last year. 'We get punished' In footage widely shared around the world, she rose to her feet, ripped up the bill and started belting out the strains of a protest haka. She was joined by Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer, who strode on to the chamber floor chanting the Ka Mate haka famously performed by the country's All Blacks rugby team. 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 powerful 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 Thursday. Maipi-Clarke said Maori 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.' The Treaty Principles Bill sought to reinterpret New Zealand's founding document, signed between Maori chiefs and British representatives in 1840. Many critics saw the bill as an attempt to wind back the special rights given to the country's 900,000-strong Maori population. Parliament resoundingly voted down the bill in April. - © AFP 2025
NDTV
5 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
3 New Zealand MPs Banned From Parliament For Staging Haka Protests
New Zealand's parliament on Thursday handed record-long suspensions to three Indigenous Maori lawmakers who last year staged a protest haka on the debating floor. Maori Party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were banished from parliament for 21 days, the longest-ever suspension. Fellow Maori Party lawmaker Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand's youngest current MP, was suspended for seven days. The bans stem from a haka performed during voting in November on the contentious Treaty Principles Bill, which sought to redefine the principles of a key pact between Maori and the government. 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," Waititi said. "The silencing of us today is a reminder of the silencing of our ancestors of the past, and it continues to happen. "Now you've traded the noose for legislation. Well, we will not be silenced." Although performed on many different occasions, haka are often used as a kind of ceremonial war dance or challenge to authority. New Zealand's foreign affairs minister Winston Peters earlier mocked Waititi for his traditional full-face Maori tattoo. "The Maori Party are a bunch of extremists, and middle New Zealand and the Maori world has had enough of them," said Peters, who is also Maori. "The one that's shouting down there, with the scribbles on his face... can't keep quiet for five seconds." Maipi-Clarke, 22, sparked the affair as parliament considered the highly contentious Treaty Principles Bill in November last year. 'We get punished' - In footage widely shared around the world, she rose to her feet, ripped up the bill and started belting out the strains of a protest haka. She was joined by Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer, who strode on to the chamber floor chanting the Ka Mate haka famously performed by the country's All Blacks rugby team. 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 powerful 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 Thursday. Maipi-Clarke said Maori 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." The Treaty Principles Bill sought to reinterpret New Zealand's founding document, signed between Maori chiefs and British representatives in 1840. Many critics saw the bill as an attempt to wind back the special rights given to the country's 900,000-strong Maori population. Parliament resoundingly voted down the bill in April.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Three Maori MPs suspended over haka protest in New Zealand parliament
Listen to article New Zealand's parliament on Thursday imposed record-long suspensions on three Indigenous Maori lawmakers for staging a haka protest during a vote on the controversial Treaty Principles Bill last November. The bans mark the longest-ever suspensions handed down by the New Zealand parliament. Maori Party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were each banned for 21 days, while Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, the youngest serving MP in New Zealand, received a seven-day suspension. The suspensions stem from an incident during a vote on the Treaty Principles Bill, a proposal to reinterpret the terms of New Zealand's founding treaty, signed between Maori chiefs and British representatives in 1840. Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer performed a haka — a traditional Maori war dance — in defiance of the bill, while Maipi-Clarke ripped up the bill and led the protest. The haka, often used as a challenge or ceremonial war dance, is a symbol of Maori culture and resistance. Waititi, in a statement to the press, held up a noose in reference to the wrongful execution of his ancestor, highlighting the historical silencing of Maori voices. "Now you've traded the noose for legislation. Well, we will not be silenced," Waititi said. The protest drew attention both within New Zealand and internationally, with video footage widely circulated on social media. The trio's actions resulted in them being summoned before parliament's Privileges Committee, though they refused to participate in the hearing. In parliament on Thursday, the three MPs were met with strong opposition, including from New Zealand's foreign affairs minister, Winston Peters, who mocked Waititi's full-face Maori tattoo, calling the Maori Party "extremists." Maipi-Clarke, speaking after the suspensions were announced, voiced her frustration at what she perceived as an unequal standard for punishment. "A member can swear, drive up the steps of Parliament, or even lay their hands on someone and get no suspension. Yet when we stand up for the country's foundational document, we get punished with the most severe consequences," she said. The Treaty Principles Bill, which proposed redefining the principles of the 1840 Treaty, was widely criticized as an effort to diminish the special rights of New Zealand's 900,000-strong Maori population. The bill was resoundingly voted down by parliament in April.
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
New Zealand parliament gives record bans to Maori MPs over haka
New Zealand's parliament has handed record-long suspensions to three Indigenous Maori lawmakers who last year staged a protest haka on the debating floor. Maori Party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were banished from parliament for 21 days, the longest-ever suspension. Fellow Maori Party politician Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand's youngest current MP, was suspended for seven days. The bans stem from a haka performed during voting in November on the contentious Treaty Principles Bill, which sought to redefine the principles of a key pact between Maori and the government. Mr Waititi held up a noose as he rose to speak in defiance of the ban. "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. "Now you've traded the noose for legislation. Well, we will not be silenced." Although performed on many different occasions, haka are often used as a kind of ceremonial war dance or challenge to authority. New Zealand's foreign affairs minister Winston Peters earlier mocked Mr Waititi for his traditional full-face Maori tattoo. "The Maori Party are a bunch of extremists, and middle New Zealand and the Maori world has had enough of them," said Mr Peters, who is also Maori. "The one that's shouting down there, with the scribbles on his face... can't keep quiet for five seconds." Ms Maipi-Clarke, 22, sparked the affair as parliament considered the highly contentious Treaty Principles Bill in November last year. In footage widely shared around the world, she ripped up the bill and started chanting a haka before being joined by Mr Waititi and Ms Ngarewa-Packer. 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 powerful 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 today. Ms Maipi-Clarke said Maori 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." The Treaty Principles Bill sought to reinterpret New Zealand's founding document, signed between Maori chiefs and British representatives in 1840. Many critics saw the bill as an attempt to wind back the special rights given to the country's 900,000-strong Maori population.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
New Zealand parliament gives record bans to Maori MPs over haka
WELLINGTON: New Zealand's parliament on Thursday handed record-long suspensions to three Indigenous Maori lawmakers who last year staged a protest haka on the debating floor. Maori Party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were banished from parliament for 21 days, the longest-ever suspension. Fellow Maori Party lawmaker Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand's youngest current MP, was suspended for seven days. The bans stem from a haka performed during voting in November on the contentious Treaty Principles Bill, which sought to redefine the principles of a key pact between Maori and the government. 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,' Waititi said. 'The silencing of us today is a reminder of the silencing of our ancestors of the past, and it continues to happen. 'Now you've traded the noose for legislation. Well, we will not be silenced.' Although performed on many different occasions, haka are often used as a kind of ceremonial war dance or challenge to authority. New Zealand's foreign affairs minister Winston Peters earlier mocked Waititi for his traditional full-face Maori tattoo. 'The Maori Party are a bunch of extremists, and middle New Zealand and the Maori world has had enough of them,' said Peters, who is also Maori. 'The one that's shouting down there, with the scribbles on his face... can't keep quiet for five seconds.' Maipi-Clarke, 22, sparked the affair as parliament considered the highly contentious Treaty Principles Bill in November last year. 'We get punished' In footage widely shared around the world, she rose to her feet, ripped up the bill and started belting out the strains of a protest haka. She was joined by Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer, who strode on to the chamber floor chanting the Ka Mate haka famously performed by the country's All Blacks rugby team. 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 powerful 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 Thursday. Maipi-Clarke said Maori 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.' The Treaty Principles Bill sought to reinterpret New Zealand's founding document, signed between Maori chiefs and British representatives in 1840. Many critics saw the bill as an attempt to wind back the special rights given to the country's 900,000-strong Maori population. Parliament resoundingly voted down the bill in April.
