Three Māori MPs are facing suspensions from parliament over a haka protest in the chamber that went viral last year.
Last November, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, 22, along with Te Pati Maori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi made headlines when they protested the Treaty Principles Bill by performing a haka in parliament. Maipi-Clarke also ripped up the document.
This week, the Privileges Committee ruled the haka could have “initimidated” other members of parliament and has now recommended the three Māori politicians be suspended; Maipi-Clarke for seven days and Ngarewa-Packer and Waititi for three weeks. The suspensions are believed to be the strongest penalties handed down to members in the New Zealand parliament’s history.
The Treaty Principles Bill, which has since been voted down, was proposed by the right-wing ACT Party to redefine the Treaty of Waitangi in law. Critics say it would have stripped rights given to Māori people in the country’s constitution.
The proposed suspensions are likely to be approved next Tuesday with support from the three parties of government – National, ACT and NZ First.
Judith Collins, Chair of the Parliamentary Privileges Committee said: “We’ve never had penalties like this in this parliament before”.
“But that’s because we’ve never seen this sort of behaviour in the house — before a vote.”
‘Grossly unjust’
In a statement following the decision from the Privileges Committee, the Māori Party said it was an “unprecedented” punishment that will silence the MPs.
“This punishment is unprecedented; these are the three longest suspensions in the history of Parliament in Aotearoa,” the statement said.
“This decision will not only silence three MPs; it will silence a quarter of te iwi Māori by taking their representatives out of this House.”
Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau and member of the Privileges Committee Mariameno Kapa-Kingi said that “the process was grossly unjust, unfair, and unwarranted, resulting in an extreme sanction. This was not about process, this became personal.”
“They can suspend our MPs, but they can’t suspend our movement.”