Māori MPs Face Suspension After Controversial Haka Protest

Following a protest haka executed by MPs Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, Rawiri Waititi, and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, a parliamentary committee has proposed suspensions citing concerns of intimidation. The legislation that sparked the protest, aimed at redefining the Treaty of Waitangi, was subsequently voted down.

A New Zealand parliamentary committee has recommended suspensions for three Māori Members of Parliament (MPs) after a protest haka performed last year during a parliamentary sitting. Opposition MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke initiated the traditional Māori dance in response to questioning regarding her party's stance on a controversial bill, which has since been defeated, that sought to redefine the Treaty of Waitangi—New Zealand's foundational treaty with Māori people.

The committee's ruling suggested that the haka could have "intimidated" fellow lawmakers, leading to the recommendation that Maipi-Clarke be suspended for one week, while Te Pāti Māori (Māori Party) co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer face a 21-day ban. In a statement, the Māori Party criticized these recommendations, describing them as a "warning shot" intended to compel compliance among Māori representatives, and deemed the proposed punishments among the harshest in New Zealand's parliamentary history.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, who also identifies as Māori, called the trio "out-of-control MPs" for allegedly flouting parliamentary rules and intimidating colleagues with their protest. A vote on these proposed suspensions is scheduled for the upcoming Tuesday.

The legislation at the heart of the protest, known as the Treaty Principles Bill, aimed to legally define the principles governing the Treaty of Waitangi, which was signed in 1840 during New Zealand's colonization. The bill faced widespread opposition, resulting in its defeat by a vote of 112 to 11 just last month, just days after a government committee recommended that it not proceed.

The proposal drew significant public dissent, exemplified by protests that attracted over 40,000 participants outside parliament during the initial readings in November. Previously, thousands engaged in a nine-day march against the bill, demonstrating the intense sentiments surrounding Māori rights and representation in New Zealand. Maipi-Clarke notably escalated tensions during the introduction of the bill by tearing up a copy of the document in front of Parliament, further highlighting the fervor with which she and her colleagues oppose the proposed changes to the Treaty.