Letters: Who wins in divisive Treaty principles debate? Is a Parliament haka brave or intimidating?

Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipa-Clarke was among those to perform a haka in Parliament after the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. Photo / Samuel Rillstone, RNZ

Letters to the Editor

Who wins in divisive Treaty debate?

It saddens me to see the dissent being fomented by David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, all of which is entirely unnecessary.

The bill, which former Treaty Minister Chris Finlayson has characterised as “appalling”, has elicited angry responses from all sections of the country, particularly Māori, as it seeks to weaken our founding document.

It saddens me that the Prime Minister has permitted the bill to go to a first reading based on some “coalition agreement”. How absurd.

Seymour was desperate to occupy the Treasury benches and would have joined the coalition without this concession. His actions and behaviour have set race relations back, damaged our international race relations reputation, and diverted attention from important issues facing our nation.

And who’s the winner? Regrettably, it’s probably Seymour, revelling in the opportunities to spout his superficial views to any sections of the media prepared to give him space and time.

And all to a person whose party gained a mere 8.64% of the vote at the general election.

Dr John Reynolds, Torbay.

Haka and the House

When Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, an elected Māori Party member, bravely expressed the views of her people via a haka in the House, she gave us an insight into how democracy in our part of the world could function.

Obviously, haka should not be rolled out on all issues but when something as disruptive as the Treaty Principles Bill is before the House, perhaps the occasion calls for it. While this bill may align with European democratic values rooted in universal human rights, here in the South Pacific we are forging a unique democracy – one that also places value on indigenous rights.

If Māori representatives see haka in the House as essential for their voices to be heard, we should embrace it as part of our evolving democracy. The haka is part of us – and serves many positive purposes.

Is it now time for our Parliament to accept the occasional haka as a tool of robust political debate? Maybe in Aotearoa we are grown up and creative enough to reimagine what rules for political debate should look like for us in the South Pacific?

Marc Elliott, Meadowbank.

It’s intimidation

If Julie Anne Genter could be vilified and made to apologise for her behaviour in crossing the floor to ask a Government minister to read the papers, then the Māori Party must be at the very least censured for its intimidation haka in front of David Seymour.

To do nothing will make Parliament a laughing stock in front of the world. We laugh at pictures of intimidating behaviour in other parliaments but when it happens on our doorstep, we let it be covered by the cloak of culturalism.

They can do what they like, within the law, outside Parliament. They can ceremoniously walk slowly over the Harbour Bridge and down motorways, causing bedlam to commuters, resulting in millions of dollars of lost productivity and inconvenience, and we thank them for it.

The story has made headlines from Australia to India. To most viewing it, it seemed violent and intimidating. If action is not taken, such as expelling the party members involved for the rest of the debate, then it will set a precedent and more actions will follow. What would happen if one MP walked over to an opposing member and threatened to punch them in the nose? They would be expelled and not allowed to return until an appropriate and sincere apology was made.

If the Māori Party wants a Parliament where tribalism reigns, then let them set up tents on Parliament grounds.

Geoff Minchin, Kawakawa.

Hīkoi pride

Walking over the bridge as part of the hīkoi on Wednesday and watching the haka in Parliament, I felt proud to be a Kiwi.

We don’t need David Seymour’s bill. We need to cherish the Treaty, which has given us an imperfect but significant bulwark against colonialism. The bridge wobbled wildly under our feet during the hīkoi and at 78, I had to hold on to the railing. This was a small price to pay to give my Pākehā support to such a worthy cause.

In the House, it was stirring to see Māori MPs join in a classic haka to protest against this unnecessary and insulting bill. It brought me to tears. Come on Kiwis, be proud of our Treaty. Don’t let anyone take it away from us.

Cecelia Kerr, Hibiscus Coast.

Flag fervour

So Destiny’s Brian Tamaki wants all other flags, apart from the New Zealand flag, banned. What a drab little country New Zealand would be if he had his way.

I love to see other flags, the red-and-white Tongan flag flying exuberantly from cars and homes, and other brightly coloured flags that pop up from time to time. A personal favourite is the Welsh flag.

It is my fervent hope that Mr Tamaki one day gets his just deserts, alongside the other petty narcissistic, homophobic misogynists who currently inhabit our planet.

Iti noa ana he pito mata – from the withered tree, a flower blooms.

Jenny Wallis, Blockhouse Bay.