Reporter Sinembali is on the Parliament steps, where supporters have turned out for 3 MPs facing possible suspension for their haka in opposition to the Treaty Principles Bill.
Opinion by Amaia Haua Te Hau
THREE KEY FACTS
Parliament handed down an unprecedented punishment for Te Pāti Māori MPs who performed a haka in protest against the Treaty Principles Bill.
Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi are suspended for 21 days, and MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke suspended for seven days, taking effect immediately.
Opposition parties tried to reject the recommendation on Thursday, but did not have the numbers to vote it down.
The suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs Rawiri Waititi, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, and Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke has ignited urgent questions about the boundaries of protest, the place of culture in politics and the fairness of our democratic systems.
Performing the haka Ka Mate and tearing up a copy ofthe controversial Treaty Principles Bill were not acts of disruption.
They were expressions of political judgment, grounded in tikanga Māori and the long-standing history of Māori resistance.
Yet instead of engaging with the significance of their protest, Parliament responded with the harshest disciplinary action in New Zealand’s political history.
Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipa-Clarke was among those to perform a haka at Parliament after the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill, on November 14, 2024. Photo / RNZ
Was this truly about upholding parliamentary order, or was it a deliberate move to silence Māori voices?
In a democracy, protest is not a threat, it is a vital expression of citizenship, especially for communities that have been historically marginalised.
When those in power punish protest rather than understand it, they reveal whose voices are valued and whose are dismissed.
The suspension of these Māori MPs was not only unjust, it was an obvious reminder of how Māori perspectives are still sidelined within Aotearoa’s political system.
Haka is not just a performance, it is a sacred cultural expression, woven into moments of unity, resistance and honouring our tīpuna.
Yet too often, it is misunderstood as aggressive or confrontational.
These MPs were using traditional forms of resistance to represent their people, to reject legislation that would cause direct harm to Māori.
Amaia Haua Te Hau says the haka protest was a stand for justice, culture and identity.
To punish them for this is to send a clear and chilling message: that Māori must set aside our identity and silence our culture in order to fit within the confines of a Pākehā-dominated system.
Haka is proudly celebrated on sports fields and in schools, yet when performed in Parliament as a form of protest, it is suddenly labelled “intimidating” or “out of line”.
Other MPs have raised their voices, hurled insults and driven vehicles up the steps of Parliament, but they were not suspended.
This is not about maintaining order; it is about maintaining control.
This moment in Parliament was never just about a haka – it was about identity, justice and the right of Māori to be unapologetically ourselves in our own country.
By punishing these Māori MPs for expressing their culture and standing up for their people, Parliament didn’t just silence individuals; it silenced generations of resistance.
Denying them fair process, cultural context and equal treatment reveals just how far our institutions still have to go in honouring the promises of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Until Parliament learns to honour both Te Ao Pākehā and Te Ao Māori equally, moments like this will continue to expose the imbalance at the heart of our democracy.
The choice before us is clear: adapt and grow into a nation that respects both worlds or remain stuck in a system that serves only one.
If our leaders cannot recognise the dignity in haka, the sacredness of protest and the courage it takes to speak out, then what kind of democracy are we truly upholding?
This is not just a political issue; it is a call to action. Every New Zealander must ask: what kind of nation do we want to be?
One that protects the comfort of the powerful, or one that makes space for the voices, values and vision of tangata whenua?
True justice means listening. True honour means understanding. True leadership means standing up not just when it is easy, but when it matters most.
Amaia Haua Te Hau is a 20-year-old student of Rongomaiwahine and Ngāti Porou descent living in Te Matau a Māui, Hawke’s Bay. She is hoping to start her Bachelor of Nursing degree at EIT in July.
