NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Rawiri Waititi: Māori 'sick and tired' of being a political football

RNZ
13 May, 2021 12:19 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Maori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi after walking out of the House during Question Time, Parliament, Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Maori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi after walking out of the House during Question Time, Parliament, Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

By RNZ

Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi says a barrage of rhetoric in Parliament is fuelling racist comments in wider society.

The party's MPs walked out yesterday accusing National Party leader Judith Collins of using the House as a forum for "bashing Māori".

Waititi was ejected from the House for taking aim at what he called "racist" rhetoric from the National Party.

He performed an impassioned haka on the floor as he exited, joined in solidarity by co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Green MP Teanau Tuiono.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Collins says she will not let up questioning the Government and its plans for partnership with Māori.

The exchange sparked a debate on whether MPs should be allowed to call each other racist in the House, with the Speaker ruling policies and views could be labelled racist but not MPs.

"It's been accumulating over the last couple of weeks, Waititi told Morning Report.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's hard to explain unless you are Māori and you can feel this barrage of racist rhetoric towards Māori."

"It's not just the He Puapua report, it's around Māori wards, it's around the Māori Health Authority, and all of these kaupapa which are equitable for Māori.

"What it is doing is inciting a whole lot of racists to come out on social media with venom, with absolute venom.

"We will not stand for it, it's unacceptable."

National was down in the polls and was often using tangata whenua and Māori as a political football to gain popularity, he said.

"When National talked about Māori wards being apartheid, about the Māori Health Authority being separatist and now they're talking about the He Puapua report also being apartheid and separatist - they can use words like that in Parliament, when we question them we get kicked out.

"Hence the haka yesterday because that is our way of debating issues."

Waititi said it was time to have "a mature conversation in this country about how we do politics".

"Māori are sick and tired of being the political football," he said.

Waititi said if he had to learn how to frame his questions properly so should Collins.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

National Party deputy leader Shane Reti said National's questions in Parliament were legitimate, and he supported Judith Collins.

Reti said questions in Parliament before Waititi raised a point of order were reasonable and legitimate on He Puapua and the dual Government.

"For Rawiri to say that line of questioning is racist ... no, that is an inquiring line of questioning raising clarification, trying to get some understanding of what's not part of current public discussion.

"Yes I agree tone is important ... and yes I do support Judith in the constructive way in which she is looking to bring this discussion forward."

Reti said in recent speeches Collins had identified that National sees the Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document and there had been breaches which settlements sought to address. The party was also discussing having a Treaty clause placed back in its constitution.

Asked how a wider discussion on Treaty issues could take place without many tangata whenua feeling as though there is a backlash because of language used by Judith Collins, Reti said:

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We can only control the composure we think needs to be out there to have that discussion. If others feel we haven't got that tone right then we can certainly look to see how we can do it better.

"But we're not the Government of the day and the prime setters of those parameters. We think the Government should be setting this discussion piece - we'll contribute to that discussion."

National was still pondering Speaker Trevor Mallard's ruling, he said.

"We'll have to have a caucus discussion around the issues that Trevor raised around holding racist views but not being a racist yourself and whether one can challenge policy on racist positions - those are discussions we'll need to have. I'm not going to pre-empt the views of caucus ... we'll have a deep and thoughtful discussion on this and reply to the Speaker as he's requested us to."

Waititi said a national conversation on Te Tiriti o Waitangi must include Māori.

"If we want to have a national and a mature conversation about what the Tiriti o Waitangi actually is, and I commend the comments of the Prime Minister yesterday, we're prepared to have that."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Crime

Man, 23, turns himself in after Auckland market stabbing

22 Jun 08:53 AM
Crime

'Naughty' parolee holding woman at gunpoint left after telling off from toddler

22 Jun 08:00 AM
New Zealand

New Zealander arrested in France charged with attempted murder of political activist

22 Jun 06:37 AM

Help for those helping hardest-hit

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Man, 23, turns himself in after Auckland market stabbing

Man, 23, turns himself in after Auckland market stabbing

22 Jun 08:53 AM

He faces two charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

'Naughty' parolee holding woman at gunpoint left after telling off from toddler

'Naughty' parolee holding woman at gunpoint left after telling off from toddler

22 Jun 08:00 AM
New Zealander arrested in France charged with attempted murder of political activist

New Zealander arrested in France charged with attempted murder of political activist

22 Jun 06:37 AM
Two critically injured after multi-vehicle crash on key Auckland road

Two critically injured after multi-vehicle crash on key Auckland road

22 Jun 05:50 AM
How a Timaru mum of three budding chefs stretched her grocery shop
sponsored

How a Timaru mum of three budding chefs stretched her grocery shop

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP