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Saturday, Jun 07, 2025
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New Zealand MPs Suspended Following Haka Protest in Parliament
Three Indigenous MPs face unprecedented suspensions for performing a traditional Māori dance during legislative proceedings.
New Zealand's Parliament has imposed historically lengthy suspensions on three Indigenous MPs from the Te Pāti Māori party for performing a haka, a traditional Māori dance, during a contentious bill reading.
The parliamentary privileges committee recommended the suspensions, stating the MPs acted in a manner that could intimidate members of the house.
The suspension duration includes 21 days for co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, while representative Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke has been suspended for seven days.
During their suspension, the MPs will not receive salaries and will be unable to participate in legislative voting.
Ngarewa-Packer expressed that the suspension reflects punitive measures against Māori representation in parliament, emphasizing, "We take on the stance of being unapologetically Māori and prioritising what our people need or expect from us." Maipi-Clarke highlighted that the suspension serves to diminish Māori voices in the legislative process, questioning, "Are our voices too loud for this house?
Is that the reason why we are being silenced?" She reiterated the resolve of the Māori community to continue asserting their presence and narratives within the parliamentary framework.
The decision to suspend these politicians is notably rare within New Zealand's legislative history, with only three other members suspended in the past decade.
Prior to this occurrence, the longest suspension recorded was three days.
Judith Collins, chair of the privileges committee and attorney-general, clarified that the rationale against the haka primarily concerned adherence to parliamentary rules rather than the cultural significance of the performance itself.
Collins stated, "It's not about the haka ...
it is about following the rules of parliament that we are all obliged to follow."
In contrast, the opposition Labour party criticized the decision, proposing an alternative of censure rather than suspension.
Labour parliamentarian Duncan Webb described the suspensions as inconsistent with democratic principles, arguing that this decision diverges significantly from past privileges committee actions.
The parliamentary privileges committee recommended the suspensions, stating the MPs acted in a manner that could intimidate members of the house.
The suspension duration includes 21 days for co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, while representative Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke has been suspended for seven days.
During their suspension, the MPs will not receive salaries and will be unable to participate in legislative voting.
Ngarewa-Packer expressed that the suspension reflects punitive measures against Māori representation in parliament, emphasizing, "We take on the stance of being unapologetically Māori and prioritising what our people need or expect from us." Maipi-Clarke highlighted that the suspension serves to diminish Māori voices in the legislative process, questioning, "Are our voices too loud for this house?
Is that the reason why we are being silenced?" She reiterated the resolve of the Māori community to continue asserting their presence and narratives within the parliamentary framework.
The decision to suspend these politicians is notably rare within New Zealand's legislative history, with only three other members suspended in the past decade.
Prior to this occurrence, the longest suspension recorded was three days.
Judith Collins, chair of the privileges committee and attorney-general, clarified that the rationale against the haka primarily concerned adherence to parliamentary rules rather than the cultural significance of the performance itself.
Collins stated, "It's not about the haka ...
it is about following the rules of parliament that we are all obliged to follow."
In contrast, the opposition Labour party criticized the decision, proposing an alternative of censure rather than suspension.
Labour parliamentarian Duncan Webb described the suspensions as inconsistent with democratic principles, arguing that this decision diverges significantly from past privileges committee actions.