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Al Jazeera
a day ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
New Zealand parliament suspends Maori MPs who performed protest haka
New Zealand legislators have voted to suspend three MPs who performed a Maori haka in the House to protest against a controversial bill. The MPs from Te Pati Maori – the Maori Party – were handed the toughest sanctions ever imposed on legislators by New Zealand's parliament on Thursday. Te Pati Maori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were both suspended from parliament for 21 days. Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand's youngest legislator, 22, was suspended for seven days. The length of the bans was recommended by parliament's privileges committee, which advised the trio should be suspended for acting in 'a manner that could have the effect of intimidating a member of the House'. It recommended Maipi-Clarke be given a shorter sanction because she had written a letter of 'contrition' to the parliament. Previously, the longest suspension imposed on an MP had been a three-day ban. Prior to Thursday's vote, Maipi-Clarke told legislators that the suspension was an effort to stop Maori from making themselves heard in parliament. 'Are our voices too loud for this house? Is that the reason why we are being silenced?' she said. 'We will never be silenced and we will never be lost.' The legislators had performed the haka in parliament in November. Their protest interrupted voting during the first reading of a proposed bill to legally define the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, the 1840 pact between the British Crown and Indigenous Maori leaders signed during New Zealand's colonisation. The proposed law prompted widespread protests amid concerns it would erode Maori rights. It was later scrapped. Maipi-Clarke had begun the protest by ripping a copy of the legislation, before she and fellow MPs approached the leader of the right-wing party that had backed the proposed law. Their actions prompted complaints from fellow MPs to the parliament's speaker that their protest was disorderly, and the matter was sent to parliament's privileges committee, prompting months of debate. A report from the privileges committee said that while both haka and Maori ceremonial dance and song are not uncommon in parliament, members were aware that permission was needed from the speaker beforehand.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
How controversy over Maori haka sparked chaos in New Zealand parliament
The haka, a traditional Maori dance of challenge, has transcended its sacred origins to become a cherished cultural symbol for all New Zealanders. From sporting events to funerals and graduations, its powerful performances often resonate globally, a source of national pride. However, a haka performed within the country's Parliament in November has ignited a fiery debate, dividing politicians on whether it constituted peaceful protest or an act of intimidation. Three Maori Party legislators performed the haka during a protest against a bill to redefine the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand 's founding document, leading to proposed sanctions of unprecedented length. A parliamentary vote on the bans was unexpectedly postponed on Tuesday, pushing the contentious issue to June. The delay threatens to stall the legislative agenda until a cross-party consensus can be reached on the appropriate response. Outside Parliament, hundreds of protesters gathered on Tuesday, waiting to greet the Maori Party lawmakers with a haka of their own, demonstrating the depth of feeling surrounding the issue. What is the haka? The haka was once viewed as a war dance, but that understanding has changed in New Zealand as it has been embraced in a range of celebratory, sombre and ceremonial settings. It is an expression of Maori identity and while sacred, it can be performed by people of any race who are educated by Maori in the words, movements and cultural protocols. Emotional haka have generated news headlines in the past year when performed by soldiers farewelling a New Zealander who died fighting in Ukraine, and in Paris by athletes from New Zealand's Olympic team. While the best-known haka is 'Ka Mate', the chant often performed by the All Blacks rugby team before games, there are many variants. Why was this haka controversial? November's protest wasn't the first time a haka has rung out in Parliament. Performances regularly follow the passage of laws important to Maori. But some lawmakers decried this one for two reasons: because the legislators from Te Pati Maori, the Maori Party, left their seats and strode across the floor toward government politicians while performing it, and because it disrupted the vote on a proposed law. When asked how the Maori party would vote on a bill that they said would dismantle Indigenous rights, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke – New Zealand's youngest parliamentarian, at 22 – tore up a copy of the law and began the haka, joined by two of her colleagues. The law, an attempt to rewrite New Zealand's founding treaty between Maori tribal leaders and the British crown, was widely unpopular and has since been defeated. But for six months, a committee of the MPs' peers have fought furiously about how, or whether, their protest of it should be punished. Why is debate about this haka still going? Usually, there is agreement among parliamentarians about penalties for errant behaviour. But this episode polarised the committee considering the lawmakers' actions. Its report recommended Ms Maipi-Clarke, who the committee said showed contrition in a letter, be suspended for seven days and her colleagues for 21 days. That is the harshest penalty ever assigned to New Zealand politicians; the previous record was three days. This month, Parliament Speaker Gerry Brownlee scheduled a rare, unlimited debate in Parliament until all parties could find consensus on the penalty, citing the severity of the proposed bans. But minutes after the debate began Tuesday, it was adjourned at the government's behest after they allowed the Maori party lawmakers to stay until after Thursday's budget was delivered. It permitted the government their budget week agenda and meant the Maori MPs, who are opponents of the government, would not miss one of Parliament's most significant dates. But the debate about the bans will then resume. Opposition leader Chris Hipkins, the only opponent of the sanctions to speak before debate was suspended, cited episodes where MPs have brawled in Parliament and driven a tractor up the building's steps, but were not suspended, as evidence that the bans were not fair. But Judith Collins, the chair of the committee that produced the sanctions, said the penalties were 'not about the haka'. Ms Collins said the MPs' behaviour was the most egregious she had ever witnessed. What happens next? The debate will resume on 5 June, when it threatens to stall usual government business once more. The government said on Tuesday that it would not back down from the punishments suggested and opposition parties said they could not be swayed from disputing them. Outside Parliament, activist Eru Kapa-Kingi told the assembled crowd that the haka was 'a source of fear' in Parliament. 'Even though when the All Blacks do it it's a good thing,' he added.
RNZ News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Parliament faces a debate primed for filibuster in Budget week
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke rips up a copy of the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill at the conclusion of the Bill's First Reading. Photo: VNP/Louis Collins Parliament could be debating the potential punishment of Te Pāti Māori MPs for last year's Treaty Principles haka well into the night, if not for weeks or even months. The opposition parties say the proposed punishments - 21 days for the co-leaders and seven for Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, who led the haka but showed contrition - is too severe. They will have the opportunity to explain that at length when Parliament sits at 2pm. Unusually for New Zealand's Parliament, it will be a debate primed for filibuster. Parliament's Speaker Gerry Brownlee set out the parameters last week, including that all 123 MPs will be allowed to speak - and if any amendment is put forward they would then be allowed to speak again. Such amendments could include a change to the length of the suspensions. Parliament's public gallery will be closed on Tuesday, but a protest is planned on the forecourt. Should the debate continue long enough, the Budget would take precedence over it and Te Pāti Māori MPs would be able to participate - including having their votes against the Budget recorded. Parties will carefully consider how to handle the debate in caucus meetings this morning, weighing how long the punishment should be and how long the debate lasts. Te Pāti Māori said the proposed punishment was unjust and unfair, silencing them and a quarter of te iwi Māori. Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. Photo: RNZ / Russell Palmer Labour was undecided on its approach, with Chris Hipkins saying he would take the issue to his MPs at their caucus meeting this morning. He felt there were more important things to be debated - like pay equity - and he did not think New Zealanders wanted to see politicians continuing to talk about themselves, but also said the three weeks put forward by the Privileges Committee was a "massive escalation" on the previous harshest penalty - a three-day suspension. A spokesperson for the Green Party said they would be "scrutinising this decision to the highest degree". Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Monday ruled out any compromise , so a deal between the government and opposition for a shorter debate seems unlikely. ACT's David Seymour, whose bill prompted the haka, told RNZ Te Pāti Māori's behaviour showed its MPs believed their behaviour was acceptable. "I hope the debate will be over very quickly ... this is Budget week and New Zealanders deserve to see how the government will manage the economy over the coming year, not hijinks in response to very wrong hijinks of Te Pāti Māori," he said. "These are unprecedented offences and they deserve unprecedented penalties." He said the previous record of three days suspension handed to former Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon for publicly criticising the Speaker was "very different from breaking ancient laws of our Parliment - tikanga if you like - that you should not leave your seat". "If they believe that is a legitimate way to do business, the punishment should be strong enough to persuade them of that belief, and I'd give them three months. "If it was up to me, a 90-day sentence of suspension but then subtract all the days they haven't shown up anyway. Like time served." New Zealand First's Winston Peters, who was also on the Privileges Committee that proposed the punishments, has long decried what he sees as falling standards at Parliament, putting the first-reading haka into that category. It will therefore be up to the Speaker and the opposition parties how long the debate lasts, and Brownlee has stated his willingness to support the minority in this case. Whether the disruption to the government's agenda is worth potential backlash for time wasting will be the political calculation being made. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Waitangi Tribunal recommends 'immediate halt' Regulatory Standards Bill for 'meaningful consultation' with Māori
ACT leader David Seymour announced the bill would be brought before Cabinet next week. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The Waitangi Tribunal has recommended the Crown immediately halt the advancement of the Regulatory Standards Bill to allow for meaningful consultation with Māori. The recommendation comes from the Tribunal's interim report into the bill, which follows a one-day urgent hearing earlier this week. Māori rights group Toitū te Tiriti have warned the introduction of the bill into law would diminish the Crown's obligations to the Treaty of Waitangi. Around 18,000 people signed their online petition . The bill is part of the National and ACT party's coalition agreement to pass a Regulatory Standards Act to 'improve the quality of regulation' and introduce principles of 'good law-making' that future and past legislation would need to be measured against. In its report the Tribunal said the Crown accepted that the bill was created with no occurred targeted engagement, which is a violation of it's partnership obligations to consult with Māori in good faith. That is despite it being "inherently relevant" to Māori, as it would chance the way Parliament makes laws, the report said. The report found if the Regulatory Standards Act were enacted without meaningful consultation with Māori, it would constitute a breach of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi - specifically the principles of partnership and active protection. The Crown would also be in breach of Treaty principles if it were to introduce the bill to Parliament without more consultation with Māori. Without a full draft of the proposed bill, or more information on how the legislative principles would be applied, The Tribunal could not say what prejudice would likely arise from the bill's enactment in terms of changes to government law-making practice. The Crown should meaningfully engage with Māori on whether the proposed legislation is necessary, what further exemptions in the bill may be required to protect Māori rights and interests, and the potential impact of the proposed 'rule of law' principle on government measures in place to pursue equitable outcomes for Māori, the report found. In a statement, ACT leader David Seymour said the bill was ultimately about transparent lawmaking, less red tape and better lives. "The Regulatory Standards Bill will help New Zealand get its mojo back. It requires politicians and officials to ask and answer certain questions before they place restrictions on citizens' freedoms." "The Tribunal's main objection is that the Bill requires 'equality before the law', which is mentioned repeatedly in the document. "What it doesn't understand is that equality before the law is fundamental to a functioning democracy. We can address New Zealand's problems without racial discrimination." The Waitangi Tribunal was not a parallel government elected by New Zealanders, even if it acted like it was, Seymour said. "The Tribunal's claims are incorrect. This law increases the transparency of bad lawmaking so New Zealanders face less red tape and regulation and can live better lives. There's not a single point in their report that disagrees with this. As their report accepts, no Treaty settlements will ever be affected by the bill." "The Tribunal complains there was a lack of consultation with Māori. But consultation on the proposed Bill was open for nearly two months, with 23,000 submissions from the public, including 114 on behalf of iwi/hapū. And everyone, including Māori, will have another chance to submit at select committee." The government has announced it will review the Waitangi Tribunal to refocus the "scope, purpose and nature" of the Tribunal's inquiries back to its "original intent". Māori health leader Lady Tureiti Moxon welcomed the 33-page report and said it warned of a serious constitutional threat to Māori rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. "The Waitangi Tribunal has confirmed what many of us have been saying: that this coalition government is using its unbridled power to the detriment of our nation. "It has calculatingly sidelined Māori, purposely ignored its Treaty obligations, and is pushing forward with legislation that could undermine areas from health equity to tino rangatiratanga." Lady Moxon said the ACT's focus on 'equality before the law' was a dangerous oversimplification that failed to account for the impacts of colonisation. "Equality assumes a level playing field - but for Māori, the field has been tilted against us for generations. This Bill promotes a version of fairness that ignores our history, overlooks injustice, and threatens the very laws and policies designed to address those harms that currently exist." She said the government has treated Te Tiriti like an optional "nice-to-do", not a foundational responsibility. "That is unacceptable. Damage to the Crown-Māori relationship is already being felt, and it will only get worse if this Bill goes ahead in its current form." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
New Zealand MPs who performed haka in parliament given unprecedented punishment
Three New Zealand MPs who performed a haka in parliament will be temporarily suspended, in what is believed to be the harshest ever penalty issued to parliamentarians. The co-leaders of Te Pāti Māori (the Māori Party) Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, and the party's youngest member, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, performed the traditional Māori dance during a vote on the controversial Treaty Principles Bill during its first reading in November. The video of the haka, which included Maipi-Clarke ripping up a copy of the bill, rapidly spread around the globe, clocking up hundreds of millions of views. The treaty principles bill sought to radically reinterpret the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document between Māori tribes and the British Crown, which was signed in 1840 and is instrumental in upholding Māori rights. The proposal – introduced by the coalition's minor libertarian Act Party – prompted widespread alarm over its potential to wind back decades of progress for Māori people, sparking off the largest ever protest over Māori rights. It was ultimately defeated at its second reading in April. But in a report released on Wednesday, the privileges committee recommended suspending Ngarewa-Packer and Waititi for three weeks – an unprecedented penalty – and Maipi-Clarke for seven days, saying the trio's actions could have intimidated other legislators and were in contempt of parliament. Haka have been performed in parliament in the past, including by Waititi, but the committee said the manner and timing of this haka, which interrupted other members' ability to vote on the bill, was 'a serious matter'. 'We acknowledge the severity of the penalties proposed … however, we intend to leave members in no doubt that the behaviour discussed is not acceptable and that the intimidation of other members of the house is treated with utmost seriousness,' the report said. The report said it was unacceptable for Ngarewa-Packer to appear to simulate a firing a gun at another member of parliament with her hand. Ngarewa-Packer rejected this interpretation, saying the motion was a 'wiri' – an expression rooted in haka and Māori oratory. Judith Collins, the attorney-general and committee chair, said it was the toughest punishment the committee had ever handed out and 'the worst incident that we have ever seen'. 'Make no mistake. This was a very serious incident, the likes of which I have never seen before in my 23 years in the debating chamber,' she said. The temporary suspensions are expected to be affirmed by vote during a sitting of all lawmakers on Tuesday. The three MPs will not receive their salaries during the suspension and will not be present during next week's annual budget debate. In a statement on social media, Te Pāti Māori condemned the suspensions as being 'the worst punishment handed down ever'. 'When tangata whenua [people of the land] resist, colonial powers reach for maximum penalty. This is a warning shot to all of us to fall in line,' the party said. The opposition Labour party agreed the MPs conduct constituted a contempt of the house but felt the penalties were 'unduly severe', believing a suspension of one to two days would be appropriate. The Green party opposed the suspensions, saying they were 'completely out of proportion' to the breach and expressed concern Te Pāti Māori voters would not be represented in the house for the budget. The report included statements from the three MPs, who argued the haka was justified. 'In a space debating our rights and interests as tangata whenua, haka was the only way to respond for the hundreds of thousands of our people being harmed,' Ngarewa Packer said.
