Lawmakers in New Zealand Face Suspension After Haka Protest

Three opposition lawmakers, including the Te Pāti Māori party co-leaders, were suspended for performing a haka during parliamentary proceedings, highlighting ongoing tensions surrounding Māori rights and culture in New Zealand.

 

New Zealand’s Parliament implemented unprecedented suspensions on three opposition lawmakers on Thursday due to their performance of the haka, a traditional Māori war dance, in protest of a controversial bill. The suspended members, Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leaders of the Te Pāti Māori party, received 21-day suspensions without pay, while their colleague, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, was suspended for seven days.

This decision marks one of the most severe penalties ever enacted on lawmakers in New Zealand and comes amid an ongoing national discourse regarding the rights and cultural representation of the Māori, the Indigenous people of New Zealand. The legislation that spurred the protest was introduced by a conservative coalition member, amidst concerns from many that it reflects an anti-Māori sentiment increasingly prevalent in the current government's policies.

The protesting incident occurred during a parliamentary meeting in November when Maipi-Clarke stood up during the reading of the bill. Defiantly performing the haka and tearing her copy of the legislation before continuing the dance, she was soon joined by Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer. The session was temporarily halted by Speaker Gerry Brownlee, who deemed the actions disrespectful, leading to their subsequent suspensions.

As New Zealand grapples with its identity and the role of Māori culture in governance, the actions of the lawmakers serve as a stark reminder of the tensions that persist within the legislative framework.