Three New Zealand MPs Suspended for Haka Protest Against Controversial Bill

Wellington, New Zealand — Three members of parliament from Te Pāti Māori (the Māori Party) face temporary suspension after performing a haka to protest a controversial bill. The penalty is believed to be the strictest ever issued to lawmakers in New Zealand.

The parliament’s Privileges Committee announced on Wednesday its decision to suspend co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi for three weeks, while Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, the youngest MP at 22 years old, will be suspended for seven days. The committee cited the protest as contempt of parliament, stating that it could have intimidated other members.

The haka, a traditional Māori dance, was performed during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill in November. A video featuring Maipi-Clarke tearing up a copy of the bill garnered hundreds of millions of views globally.

The bill aimed to fundamentally reinterpret the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document signed in 1840 between Māori chiefs and the British Crown. This proposal, introduced by the coalition’s minor partner, the ACT Party, raised concerns among Māori advocates regarding its potential to reverse decades of advancement in their rights.

Judith Collins, the chair of the committee, described the MPs’ actions as serious. “This was a very serious incident, the likes of which I have never seen before in my 23 years in the debating chamber,” Collins stated.

While conduct involving haka has occurred in parliament before, the committee emphasized that the timing and manner of this protest, which impeded the voting process, were unacceptable. They noted that Ngarewa-Packer’s gesture, interpreted by some as simulating shooting, was inappropriate. Ngarewa-Packer defended her actions as an expression of cultural significance.

In contrast, Te Pāti Māori condemned the suspensions, considering them a warning against resisting colonial pressures. “This is the worst punishment handed down ever,” the party declared on social media.

The decision is expected to be confirmed in a vote among all MPs on Tuesday. The affected legislators will not receive their salaries during the suspension period and will miss next week’s annual budget debates.

The committee’s findings concluded that while the haka itself is a cherished part of Māori culture, the protests enacted disruption within the parliamentary process and warranted sanctions.