Latest news with #Maipi-Clarke
NZ Herald
09-06-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Aaron Smale: Jail for a haka? The arrogance of ignorance in Parliament
Act MP Parmjeet Parmar wanted to know if imprisonment was an option for Te Pāti Māori members who did a haka in Parliament. Photo / Supplied Recently, I took a crack at Te Pāti Māori for being big on theatre but not backing it up with being an effective opposition party. The obvious example was their haka in the House in protest at the Treaty Principles Bill. But I didn't think the haka was the problem. Since then, the government has focused on dishing out utu for Te Pāti Māori daring to bring its brand of political theatre into the House. A privileges committee headed by Judith Collins – who inaccurately claimed the haka prevented Act from voting at the bill's first reading – recommended a punishment of 21 days' suspension from Parliament for Te Pāti Māori's co-leaders and a week for Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. Even that delicate flower Gerry Brownlee, Speaker of the House, seemed uneasy about the harshness of the proposed penalty. But not Act MP Parmjeet Parmar. She wanted to know if prison was an option. When questioned about this, she rolled out the 'just asking questions' line, supposedly wanting to know what the whole spectrum of options were to punish the unruly natives. So, in the spirit of just asking questions, here's a few Parmar might like to consider. Speaking of a whole spectrum of options, does she realise Te Pāti Māori MPs not only represent but belong to communities who had members who were imprisoned, raped, hanged or shot for expressing their political opinions in ways the crown objected to? Does Parmar know the white feather Debbie Ngarewa-Packer often wears in her pōtae is a symbol and reminder of Parihaka and the government invasion of the Taranaki pacifist community where men were imprisoned without trial and, as the Waitangi Tribunal reported, women were raped? Does she know this community was resisting the confiscation of land taken by the crown she represents? Does she know UK newspaper reports about the leaders of Parihaka, Te Whiti and Tohu, influenced Gandhi, who influenced Martin Luther King? Does Parmar know Rawiri Waititi is from the Whakatōhea iwi, whose rangatira, Mokomoko, was hanged in 1866 for a murder he did not commit? That it and the neighbouring iwi Waititi also belongs to had their land confiscated? Does she know Mokomoko's body was exhumed from Mt Eden Prison and taken back to be buried with his people in 1989 and he was eventually pardoned by the crown in 1992? Does she know his final words before he was hanged were a request to sing: 'Tangohia mai te taura i taku kakī kia waiata au i taku waiata' (Take the rope from my throat that I may sing my song)? Then his neck was broken. Does Parmar know Maipi-Clarke whakapapas not only to Taranaki but also Waikato, who were invaded by the crown and lost a million acres through confiscation? Does she know about Rangiaowhia, where civilians, including women and children, were burnt and shot as they sheltered in a whare? Does she know Waikato men were imprisoned when they refused conscription in World War I because of the invasion and confiscation of their lands? Since Parmar objects to Māori gathering in their own spaces at universities, does she know government policy was opposed to Māori even attending university until the 1960s? Has she heard of Sir Āpirana Ngata, Sir Maui Pōmare and Te Rangi Hiroa, who went to Te Aute College and on to university to become lawyers and doctors, only for the government to pressure the school principal to desist from preparing Māori students for tertiary study? Does she know these three men, along with many iwi leaders, led a targeted – ie, race-based – health campaign that helped save Māori from extinction after the population plummeted due to poverty and disease resulting from land loss? I recently spoke to a leader of an NGO that supports Māori and Pasifika children in education who told me many of the kids they support end up dropping out of university because they are suddenly alone in an alien environment without community support. Does Parmar think that is a problem that should be addressed? Has she ever bothered to read the history of Māori political figures like Ngata and Pōmare, whose portraits hang in the halls of Parliament? Does she know Pōmare walked those halls with a limp, due to an injury he suffered when he was one of the children who welcomed the troops who invaded Parihaka with singing, only to be trampled by horses? In March, Parmar pronounced the University of Auckland should scrap its compulsory Waipapa Taumata Rau course. Does she think a history lesson might be of use to MPs like herself who claim to represent the country but know little of its history? Or does she take her history lessons from her party leader, who mangles or ignores the past to create a constant stream of political controversies to hold the media's attention and misinform and distract the public? And was Parmar's question about the option of sending Te Pāti Māori to jail for a political protest really her question? Or was she simply doing the party leader's dirty work for him?
Yomiuri Shimbun
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
New Zealand Parliament Suspends 3 Māori Party Lawmakers Who Performed Haka Protest
New Zealand Parliament TV via AP In this image from video provided by New Zealand Parliament TV, lawmaker Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke tears papers as she performs a Māori haka to protest a proposed law during a session of Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Nov. 14, 2024 WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand legislators voted Thursday to enact record suspensions from Parliament for three lawmakers who performed a Māori haka to protest a proposed law. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke received a seven-day ban and the leaders of her political party, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, were barred for 21 days. Three days had been the longest ban for a lawmaker from New Zealand's Parliament before. The lawmakers from Te Pāti Māori, the Māori Party, performed the haka, a chanting dance of challenge, in November to oppose a widely unpopular bill, now defeated, that they said would reverse Indigenous rights. The protest drew global headlines and provoked months of fraught debate among lawmakers about what the consequences for the lawmakers' actions should be and the place of Māori culture in Parliament. Why the punishment was so strict A committee of the lawmakers' peers in April recommended the lengthy bans. It said the lawmakers were not being punished for the haka, but for striding across the floor of the debating chamber toward their opponents while doing it. Judith Collins, the committee chair, said the lawmakers' behavior was egregious, disruptive and potentially intimidating. Maipi-Clarke, 22, rejected that description Thursday, citing other instances when legislators have left their seats and approached opponents without sanction. The suspended legislators said they are being treated more harshly than others because they are Māori. 'I came into this house to give a voice to the voiceless. Is that the real issue here?' Maipi-Clarke asked Parliament. 'Is that the real intimidation here? Are our voices too loud for this house?' Why this haka was controversial Inside and outside Parliament, the haka has increasingly been welcomed as an important part of New Zealand life. The sacred chant can be a challenge to the viewer but is not violent. As Māori language and culture have become part of mainstream New Zealand in recent years, haka appear in a range of cultural, somber and celebratory settings. They also have rung out in Parliament to welcome the passage of high-profile laws. Some who decried the protest haka in Parliament cited its timing, with Maipi-Clarke beginning the chant as votes were being tallied and causing a brief suspension of proceedings. She has privately apologized for the disruption to Parliament's Speaker, she said Thursday. A few lawmakers urged their peers to consider rewriting rules about what lawmakers could do in Parliament to recognize Māori cultural protocols as accepted forms of protest. One cited changes to allow breastfeeding in the debating chamber as evidence the institution had amended rules before. Who approved the suspensions Normally the parliamentary committee that decides on punishments for errant lawmakers is in agreement on what should happen to them. But panel members were sharply divided over the haka protest and the lengthy punishments were advanced only because the government has more legislators in Parliament than the opposition. One party in the government bloc wanted even longer suspensions and had asked the committee if the Māori party lawmakers could be jailed. Most in opposition rejected any punishment beyond the one-day ban Maipi-Clarke already served. Speaker Gerry Brownlee urged lawmakers last month to negotiate a consensus and ordered a free-ranging debate that would continue until all agreed to put the sanctions to a vote. But no such accord was reached after hours of occasionally emotional speeches in which opposition lawmakers accused the government of undermining democracy by passing such a severe punishment on its opponents. While the bans were certain to pass, even as the debate began Thursday it remained unclear whether opposition lawmakers would filibuster to prevent the suspensions from reaching a vote. By evening, with no one's mind changed, all lawmakers agreed the debate should end. Every government lawmaker voted for the punishments, while all opposition members voted against them. The law that prompted the protest Thursday's debate capped a fraught episode for race relations in New Zealand, beginning with the controversial bill that the Māori Party lawmakers opposed. The measures would have rewritten principles in the country's founding document, a treaty between Māori tribal leaders and representatives of the British Crown signed at the time New Zealand was colonized. The bill's authors were chagrined by moves from Parliament and the courts in recent decades to enshrine the Treaty of Waitangi's promises. Opponents warned of constitutional crisis if the law was passed and tens of thousands of people marched to Parliament last November to oppose it. Despite growing recognition for the treaty, Māori remain disadvantaged on most social and economic metrics compared to non-Māori New Zealanders.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maori MPs suspended for performing haka in parliament
Three Maori MPs have been suspended from New Zealand's parliament for performing a haka during a sitting last year. On Thursday, the legislature voted to ban Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, the Maori Party co-leaders, for a record 21 days. Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, the Maori Party MP who started the dance, was handed a seven-day suspension. Mr Waititi said the suspension was a reminder of the 'silencing' of his ancestors. He said on Thursday: 'In my maiden speech, I talked about one of our (ancestors) who was hung in the gallows of Mt Eden Prison, wrongfully accused. 'The silencing of us today is a reminder of the silencing of our ancestors of the past, and it continues to happen. Now you've traded the noose for legislation. Well, we will not be silenced.' The MPs did the haka in November as a protest after being asked if their party supported a Bill that sought to redefine New Zealand's founding treaty with the Maori people. Although performed on many different occasions, haka are often used as a kind of ceremonial war dance or challenge to authority. Winston Peters, New Zealand's foreign affairs minister, mocked Mr Waititi in the chamber on Thursday for his traditional full-face Maori tattoo. Mr Peters, who is also Maori, said: 'The Maori Party are a bunch of extremists, and middle New Zealand and the Maori world has had enough of them. 'The one that's shouting down there, with the scribbles on his face... can't keep quiet for five seconds.' Ms Maipi-Clarke, 22, sparked the controversy as parliament considered the highly contentious Treaty Principles Bill last November. In footage widely shared around the world, she rose to her feet, ripped up the Bill and started belting out the strains of a protest haka. She was joined by Mr Waititi and Ms Ngarewa-Packer, who strode on to the chamber floor chanting the Ka Mate haka, which is often performed by the country's All Blacks rugby team. Credit: X/@Maori_Party Ms Ngarewa-Packer was also accused of pointing her fingers in the shape of a gun at David Seymour, the leader of the Right-wing ACT Party, who had proposed the Bill. The trio were hauled before the parliament's privileges committee but refused to take part in the hearing. Supported by New Zealand's three governing coalition parties, the bans were voted on and accepted on Thursday. Ms Maipi-Clarke vowed that Maori would not be silenced, saying: 'A member can swear at another member, a member of Cabinet can lay their hands on a staff member, a member can drive up the steps of parliament, a member can swear in parliament, and yet they weren't given five minutes of suspension. 'Yet when we stand up for the country's foundational document, we get punished with the most severe consequences.' The Treaty Principles Bill sought to reinterpret New Zealand's founding document, signed between Maori chiefs and British representatives in 1840. Many critics saw the Bill as an attempt to wind back the special rights given to the country's 900,000-strong Maori population. Its proponents argued that the current principles of the 1840 Bill have distorted its original intent, resulting in Maori now having more rights than non-Maori. Parliament resoundingly voted down the Bill in April. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Journal
05-06-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
New Zealand parliament gives record bans to Maori MPs over last year's protest haka
Associated Press / YouTube NEW ZEALAND'S PARLIAMENT has handed record-long suspensions to three Indigenous Maori lawmakers who last year staged a protest haka on the debating floor. Maori Party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were banished from parliament for 21 days, the longest-ever suspension. Fellow Maori Party lawmaker Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand's youngest current MP, was suspended for seven days. The bans stem from a haka performed during voting in November on the contentious Treaty Principles Bill, which sought to redefine the principles of a key pact between Maori and the government. Waititi held up a noose as he rose to speak today in defiance of the ban. 'In my maiden speech, I talked about one of our (ancestors) who was hung in the gallows of Mt Eden Prison, wrongfully accused,' Waititi said. 'The silencing of us today is a reminder of the silencing of our ancestors of the past, and it continues to happen. 'Now you've traded the noose for legislation. Well, we will not be silenced.' Although performed on many different occasions, haka are often used as a kind of ceremonial war dance or challenge to authority. New Zealand's foreign affairs minister Winston Peters earlier mocked Waititi for his traditional full-face Maori tattoo. Advertisement 'The Maori Party are a bunch of extremists, and middle New Zealand and the Maori world has had enough of them,' said Peters, who is also Maori. 'The one that's shouting down there, with the scribbles on his face… can't keep quiet for five seconds.' Maipi-Clarke, 22, sparked the affair as parliament considered the highly contentious Treaty Principles Bill in November last year. 'We get punished' In footage widely shared around the world, she rose to her feet, ripped up the bill and started belting out the strains of a protest haka. She was joined by Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer, who strode on to the chamber floor chanting the Ka Mate haka famously performed by the country's All Blacks rugby team. Ngarewa-Packer was also accused of pointing her fingers in the shape of a gun at the leader of the right-wing ACT Party, David Seymour, who had proposed the bill. The trio were hauled before parliament's powerful Privileges Committee, but refused to take part in the hearing. Supported by New Zealand's three governing coalition parties, the bans were voted on and accepted Thursday. Maipi-Clarke said Maori would not be silenced. 'A member can swear at another member, a member of Cabinet can lay their hands on a staff member, a member can drive up the steps of Parliament, a member can swear in Parliament, and yet they weren't given five minutes of suspension,' she said. 'Yet when we stand up for the country's foundational document, we get punished with the most severe consequences.' The Treaty Principles Bill sought to reinterpret New Zealand's founding document, signed between Maori chiefs and British representatives in 1840. Many critics saw the bill as an attempt to wind back the special rights given to the country's 900,000-strong Maori population. Parliament resoundingly voted down the bill in April. - © AFP 2025
NDTV
05-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
3 New Zealand MPs Banned From Parliament For Staging Haka Protests
New Zealand's parliament on Thursday handed record-long suspensions to three Indigenous Maori lawmakers who last year staged a protest haka on the debating floor. Maori Party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were banished from parliament for 21 days, the longest-ever suspension. Fellow Maori Party lawmaker Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand's youngest current MP, was suspended for seven days. The bans stem from a haka performed during voting in November on the contentious Treaty Principles Bill, which sought to redefine the principles of a key pact between Maori and the government. Waititi held up a noose as he rose to speak in defiance of the ban on Thursday. "In my maiden speech, I talked about one of our (ancestors) who was hung in the gallows of Mt Eden Prison, wrongfully accused," Waititi said. "The silencing of us today is a reminder of the silencing of our ancestors of the past, and it continues to happen. "Now you've traded the noose for legislation. Well, we will not be silenced." Although performed on many different occasions, haka are often used as a kind of ceremonial war dance or challenge to authority. New Zealand's foreign affairs minister Winston Peters earlier mocked Waititi for his traditional full-face Maori tattoo. "The Maori Party are a bunch of extremists, and middle New Zealand and the Maori world has had enough of them," said Peters, who is also Maori. "The one that's shouting down there, with the scribbles on his face... can't keep quiet for five seconds." Maipi-Clarke, 22, sparked the affair as parliament considered the highly contentious Treaty Principles Bill in November last year. 'We get punished' - In footage widely shared around the world, she rose to her feet, ripped up the bill and started belting out the strains of a protest haka. She was joined by Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer, who strode on to the chamber floor chanting the Ka Mate haka famously performed by the country's All Blacks rugby team. Ngarewa-Packer was also accused of pointing her fingers in the shape of a gun at the leader of the right-wing ACT Party, David Seymour, who had proposed the bill. The trio were hauled before parliament's powerful Privileges Committee, but refused to take part in the hearing. Supported by New Zealand's three governing coalition parties, the bans were voted on and accepted Thursday. Maipi-Clarke said Maori would not be silenced. "A member can swear at another member, a member of Cabinet can lay their hands on a staff member, a member can drive up the steps of Parliament, a member can swear in Parliament, and yet they weren't given five minutes of suspension," she said. "Yet when we stand up for the country's foundational document, we get punished with the most severe consequences." The Treaty Principles Bill sought to reinterpret New Zealand's founding document, signed between Maori chiefs and British representatives in 1840. Many critics saw the bill as an attempt to wind back the special rights given to the country's 900,000-strong Maori population. Parliament resoundingly voted down the bill in April.
