Celebration on court, censure in the House: Te Pāti Māori MPs' suspension sparks kōrero
Photo:
RNZ / Layla Bailey-McDowell
While tikanga Māori is being sanctioned in Te Whare Pāremata, te reo Māori is alive and thriving on the netball courts of Tāmaki Makaurau.
Only two days before Puni Reo Poitarawhiti, the country's largest
te reo Māori only netball event
, three Te Pāti Māori MPs were temporarily suspended from Parliament for "acting in a manner that could have the effect of intimidating a member of the House" after they performed a haka during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill.
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke will be
suspended
for seven days, while co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi will be "severely censured" and suspended for 21 days.
Suspension also meant those members would not receive a salary for that time.
The suspensions were recommendations from the Privileges Committee, and will come into force after a vote in Parliament on Tuesday, where all government MPs are expected to vote in favour.
Puni Reo Poitarawhiti organiser Marutawhaorere Delamere (Whānau Apanui, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Maniapoto) said while it dampened his spirits to see Māori MPs suspended for embracing their tikanga, kaupapa like Puni Reo Poitarawhiti showed just how much te ao Māori continued to be celebrated.
"Kei te tino kai tērā i te ngākau i te kite atu i te ahurea Māori e whakaatu ana ki te ao, haunga anō a Aotearoa - me te kaha tāmi pea o tērā.
"No reira koira pea te tino kaupapa mō Puni Reo - kia kite atu i te ahurea Māori te whātoro atu ki ngā tamariki kāre pea e tino mau ana ki tērā ahurea, me te kite atu i te ātaahuatanga o te reo e taea ai te puāwai i te ao o te tamaiti, i te ao o te whānau.
"Koira pea te kaupapa nui me te whakaaro me pēhea te uru atu i te reo ki ngā kāinga, i te mea kei te mōhio tātou koira pea te hua e kite ai i te kotahi miriona tāngata e kōrero Māori ana.
"He tino kāre i pai ki taku ngākau i tērā mahi. Engari he tino waimarie kua whai wāhi tonu te kaupapa nei - haunga te kāwanatanga o ia rā, o ia rā, kei te aruaru tonu ngā mahi."
"It really dampens my spirit to see that happen. Meanwhile at kaupapa like this you can clearly see the beauty of our culture celebrated - it's not just celebrated here; our culture is revered around the world. Globally people are fascinated, and then things like that happen.
"The good thing though is we are resilient people, and we have a generation of young people being placed into environments like this, being raised to understand the mana and beauty of their culture. Kaupapa like this will continue regardless. Out here on the ground we are actively finding ways to revitalise and maintain our language, and I'm confident we will get to the goal of 1 million people speaking our language soon.
"You've got generations coming through who are unapologetically Māori and who are smarter and more intelligent as a result.
"It's so disappointing to see people punished for their culture, but governments come and go - this isn't the first time to try and stamp out our culture, and it won't be the last."
Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan (Waikato Ngāti Mahuta, Te Ahiwaru) who helped champion Puni Reo Poitarawhiti at the 2025 event.
Photo:
RNZ / Layla Bailey-McDowell
Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan (Waikato Ngāti Mahuta, Te Ahiwaru), who championed the kaupapa alongside her husband Eruera (Eru) Lee-Morgan in 2018, shared the same whakaaro as Delamere and said she was "disgusted" by the Privileges Committee's decision.
"Pukuriri katoa ahau, mātou ko tōku whānau i tērā āhuatanga, kei reira te tūmanako te hiahia ki te whakaora i te reo kia whakaora i ngā tikanga me kite tatou i tērā āhuatanga i ngā wāhi katoa i roto i te Pāremata hoki kua tae te wā kia uru atu o tātou tikanga, i tō tātou nei whenua i ngā tikanga, i te reo katoa."
"My whānau and I were disgusted to see that happen. You see what's happening here and all around us - our people are doing everything they can to keep their language and culture alive. When you see something like that happen it makes you more determined. Who are they to tell us we cannot be who we are on our very own whenua? I say we as Māori need to start making it happen everywhere, and I encourage everyone to do so."
Rihi Te Nana at Puni Reo Poitarawhiti 2025.
Photo:
RNZ / Layla Bailey-McDowell
Rihi Te Nana, who has been working in the kaupapa Māori research space for over two decades, attended this year's Puni Reo Poitarawhiti to watch her mokopuna play. She said she was "sick" of the government's "constant racist attacks" on Māori, and that rangatahi were aware of what was happening and would respond at the ballot box.
"Kei te tino hōhā mātou ki te kāwanatanga o mātou kaikiritanga kia mātou ao noa po no.He wāhi haumaru ma mātou.
"Kia mātou nei taiohi me ngā whānau katoa kia kaha. He wa poto noaiho kei reira tērā pāti a te wa, ka haere tātou ki te pōti ae panaia atu pana atu i a ratou katoa."
"We're sick of this government and its constant racist attacks on us night and day, it's relentless... Māori youth understand what's happening and they will vote, and I encourage them to vote. These parties have a finite amount of time in Parliament, and I firmly believe we will vote them out in the next election."
Taiwhanga Wichman-Kelly (left) alongside his mum and sister at Puni Reo Poitarawhiti 2025.
Photo:
RNZ / Layla Bailey-McDowell
Among the many supporters on the day was Taiwhanga Wichman-Kelly, a raukura of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Kotuku. He was at this year's Puni Reo alongside his whānau to tautoko the kaupapa, his teina and fellow tauira.
Reflecting on the suspensions, he said it was both disheartening and infuriating to see Māori MPs be punished for who they were.
"Kei te pōuri me te pukuriri ano hoki. Nā runga i ngā āhuatanga o te whakahē i te tangata Māori i runga i tō tātou ake whenua - i konā i pouri ai te manawa, te ngākau."
"I'm feeling sad and angry because of the way our people are condemned on our own land - that's why my heart and soul are heavy."
Te Pāti Māori's Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke interrupted the vote on the Treaty Principles Bill's first reading with a haka taken up by members of the opposition and people in the public gallery.
Photo:
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Privileges Committee said the issue was not the haka itself, but the way and timing it was performed - during a vote in the House.
"It is highly disorderly for members to interrupt a vote while it is being conducted," the committee said.
They also found the MPs knew they needed permission and did not have it.
"The threshold at which an interjection during a vote may be considered a contempt is where the interruption could be considered intimidatory."
Parliament will debate on Tuesday whether these suspensions handed down to Te Pāti Māori MPs should be adopted.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter
curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
National pins re-election hopes on economy
Christopher Luxon is busy trying to convince people that National, not Labour, is the steady hand on the tiller amid choppy global waters. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro Analysis: Saturday's National Party conference set out an early 2026 challenge to voters - stick with what we've got or risk it on who-knows-what. It's a line National used successfully in 2014 (remember Eminem-esque?), but that was a different National, and a different looking government. At roughly the same point in that electoral cycle, National was polling in the late forties. National in 2025 is struggling to get past the early thirties. Labour has emerged as the party New Zealanders think has the best handle on the cost of living, according to the Ipsos Issues Monitor. Of course, there is a long way to go yet. The prime minister knows this, and is counting on sunnier economic fortunes this time next year. But to borrow a well-worn Christopher Luxon phrase, the cost of living is the barnacle that won't get off the boat, and Luxon spent his speech - and much of the week leading up to it - trying to convince people that National, not Labour, is the steady hand on the tiller amid choppy global waters. The government is at pains to say it can't control global events, although it spent a lot of time criticising the previous government for blaming global events. The Trump administration's increased tariffs landed like a lead balloon on Friday, and prompted some late additions to the conference's run sheet. In his speech, Luxon acknowledged the tariffs, but said New Zealand can't just "batten down the hatch" and hope for the best. Trade minister Todd McClay took some time out of his rurals session to say he's already spoken to his US trade counterpart, and dispatched top trade diplomat Vangelis Vitalis to Washington. McClay will follow in the coming weeks. Domestically, National is still blaming the previous government for the economic conditions it inherited, and pitching that it needs a second term to truly sort it out. The party's putting a stake in the ground and saying next year's election will be all about the economy. Last Monday's 10-minute sermon from the podium , which set out the steps National had taken to address the cost of living, was a harbinger of what was to come at the weekend. Inside the cavernous National Air Force Museum, Luxon told media New Zealanders would have a "very simple choice" at the next election: "Do you trust the guys that actually crashed the economy and have no plan, or do you trust the guys in the government that's actually inherited a mess and is sorting it out and is making progress before that election?" Luxon did not mention the other "guys in the government" on Saturday. That's not unusual. This was, after all, a National Party event, full of National Party stump speeches. The party's deputy Nicola Willis, however, gave Luxon a shout-out for the "energy" it takes to keep Winston Peters and David Seymour under control. While joking he was targeting 100 percent of the vote in 2026, Luxon said after his speech that it was natural to disagree with his coalition partners, but they were aligned on the things that mattered. National leader Christopher Luxon speaks at the party's annual conference. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter National party supporters that RNZ spoke to were largely happy with how things were going, and how Luxon was keeping things in line. "We are very co-ordinated, very co-ordinated. We respect each other's policies and respect each other's decisions," said one member. "They're very aggressive people that he's in Parliament with, but he's handled it extremely well," said another. "It's like you're the mother in the house, and you have to herd two cats, who do co-operate sometimes, and other times they've got other agendas. From a managerial point of view, I think he's doing excellently in the light of the type of political system we've got." Some expressed wariness of what Peters would do next year, others sung from Luxon's songsheet that this was the maturity of MMP on display. "It's taking some managing, but it's all good. It's what MMP is about." "Everybody's looking at next year's election again, and obviously they want to get back in. So there's a bit of leverage, and nobody's got more experience at that than Winston." They were also convinced the country was going in the right direction, and that Luxon was the right person to steer it there. "We're starting to turn the corner. The last 18 months has been the clean-up job, and we're actually getting ready to turn the tank around now." "It just takes time, and people have got to be patient. They're doing everything that they possibly can, it's just a timing issue. Everybody's impatient." National's membership thinks the polls will firm in their favour as the public look more critically at the alternative. A Labour Party bereft of policy, juggling the niche demands of the more extreme Greens and Te Pāti Māori. Luxon wants the country to "say yes" to more. More mining, more infrastructure, more housing, more tourism, more growth. Opening up more concessions on Department of Conservation land, and charging international visitors to visit some DOC sites is part of that "say yes" strategy. Twenty to forty dollars is not a large sum to fork out for people who have paid thousands to come here, and it adds $62m to the conservation estate that New Zealanders won't have to pay for. There are still some implementation issues to work through. It remains to be seen whether New Zealanders will have to take a passport or bank statement to Cathedral Cove to get out of a fee. It's a small change, and one the government did not campaign or consult the public on, or put in its latest quarterly plan. There will be more to come as parties start to differentiate themselves and sound the election battle drums. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
14 hours ago
- RNZ News
Senior Labour MP Megan Woods won't contest seat at next election
Megan Woods at the last Election Night. Photo: RNZ / Niva Chittock Senior Labour MP Megan Woods has announced she will stand as a list-only candidate at the next election. Woods has held the Wigram seat since 2011. Announcing the move on Facebook, she said it had been a difficult decision, but she could not commit to serving a full six-year boundary cycle. "When I first stood, I made a commitment to myself - I'd only run if I could commit to serving the full six-year boundary cycle. "In 2014 and 2019, when we had new boundaries, I could say 'absolutely yes' to a six-year commitment. This time, I can't." - more to come
RNZ News
18 hours ago
- RNZ News
Government has 'no intention whatsoever' to close NorthTec, Northland MP promises
NorthTec has campuses in Whangārei, Auckland, Kaitāia, Kerikeri and Ngāwhā, near Kaikohe (pictured). Photo: Peter de Graaf Northland MP Grant McCallum says the government has "no intention whatsoever" of closing down the region's polytechnic - despite being listed among institutes facing potential closure or merger as part of the break-up of mega-polytech Te Pūkenga . Revelations last week about NorthTec's uncertain future, as well as a fresh round of course and staff cuts, sparked concerns among tutors, students and industry. The news also drew more than 100 people to a public meeting at the main campus in Whangārei, but McCallum told RNZ closure of NorthTec was not on the cards. "Northland needs vocational training and NorthTec's got an important part to play in that, but it's got to be able to stand up on its own two feet and be credible," he said. "That's our goal. "It's just taking a bit longer, because it's got a chequered past and we've got to work through all that." McCallum said the exact form NorthTec would take was not yet clear, but it would still include satellite campuses in places such as Kaitāia and Kaikohe, which were essential for the widely dispersed Northland region. Northland MP Grant McCallum says he will fight to keep NorthTec open. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf He said Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds understood the importance of regional training facilities such as NorthTec, because of her long association with the Southern Institute of Technology. NorthTec would not say how many courses and jobs were included in the restructuring proposal, saying the final numbers had yet to be determined. However, according to the Tertiary Education Union, courses facing the chop included forestry, primary industries, pest control and apiculture (beekeeping). McCallum said that was an operational decision for NorthTec management. "As a local MP, what I would be expecting is sectors like the primary sector, which is one of our biggest in Northland, will have courses available. We just have to make sure they're the right ones." At the public hui, it was claimed the forestry industry had been blindsided by the proposal to drop forestry courses. McCallum said the government was conscious of those claims and NorthTec would be in touch with the affected sectors. While the final decision was the minister's, McCallum said he would fight to keep NorthTec open. "What it looks like going forward and the courses it offers, that has yet to be determined, because it has to be a sustainable, credible organisation." NorthTec operations lead Derek Slatter said the organisation was currently consulting staff over proposed changes to teaching and support roles. "The number of positions impacted will be dependent on the final decisions made following the full consultation process," he said. "The proposed changes are designed to address issues of financial sustainability and to forge a pathway towards financial viability for NorthTec, enabling us to continue delivering high-quality education and training." Slatter acknowledged staff had been through a prolonged period of change and uncertainty, and that would continue, as NorthTec became financially viable. "However, I am confident that viability is within our reach," he said. Slatter said enrolments for semester two were higher than this time last year and applications for 2026 were also up. Earlier, Minister Penny Simmonds said the government's aim was to build a vocational education system that was "locally led, regionally responsive and financially sustainable, including for Northland". Ten of the institutes merged by the previous government into Te Pūkenga would be returned to standalone, regionally-governed polytechnics. The future of polytechnics in four regions - Northland, Taranaki, Wellington and the West Coast - would be decided in the first half of 2026. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
