New Zealand’s Parliament has voted to impose unprecedented suspensions on three lawmakers from Te Pāti Māori, the Māori Party, following a protest that involved performing a haka in opposition to a controversial bill. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, the first Māori woman in Parliament, served a seven-day suspension. At the same time, party leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi received harsher 21-day bans. This ruling greatly raises the stakes for what can happen to parliamentary behavior. Until now, the maximum allowed record of suspensions was only three days.
Last November, Maipi-Clarke, Ngarewa-Packer, and Waititi were at the forefront of a powerful protest. They staged the haka to demonstrate their fierce resistance to proposed legislation that would erode Indigenous rights in New Zealand. The performance drew international attention and sparked extensive debate among lawmakers regarding the appropriateness of their actions and the resulting disciplinary measures.
The panel of state legislators suggested even more drastic suspensions. Like many people, they lauded the trio’s moves as they marched across the floor of the debating chamber, executing the haka in the face of their opponents. This unprecedented move was met with applause and skepticism. It sparked a healthy debate about the limits of parliamentary decorum and the rights of legislators to speak their minds.
Maipi-Clarke has justified her decision by pointing to comparable cases. She pointed out that like other legislators who have gone up in front of their opponents without any penalties. This made many wonder how unevenly, or even arbitrarily, the rules are enforced. It cast doubt on the justice of the emerging penalties assessed against her and her peers.
The bill that had incited the protest aimed to roll back protections for Indigenous rights. This action galvanized push back even from Te Pāti Māori and other activists working on behalf of Indigenous communities. The haka is an ancient Māori war dance and their most profound peaceful form of expression. It represents aspiration and hope and it knows how to fight back against legislation that would erode Māori culture, heritage and privilege.
The agreement to suspend Maipi-Clarke, Ngarewa-Packer, and Waititi recently made headlines and caused major community outcry. It shines a light on the larger, underlying struggle within New Zealand’s political state over Indigenous rights and representation. Whatever the personal consequences for these individuals, this protest will have far-reaching effects. Yet its effects will be felt across Parliament and our entire country for generations to come.
