New Zealand’s Parliament voted on Thursday to impose record suspensions on three Māori Party lawmakers who performed a haka protest in the debating chamber last year.
Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, the youngest MP in the chamber, was suspended for seven sitting days, while her party leaders, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, received 21-day bans the longest ever issued to lawmakers in New Zealand’s parliamentary history.
The suspensions stem from a protest staged in November 2024, when the trio performed a haka a traditional Māori dance of challenge in opposition to a bill they claimed threatened Indigenous rights. Though the bill has since been defeated, the protest sparked months of political and cultural debate.
The haka was performed as the lawmakers crossed the chamber floor toward government MPs, a move a parliamentary committee later deemed a breach of decorum. The committee stressed that the punishment was not for the haka itself, but for the lawmakers’ movement across the floor during the performance.
Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke contested this explanation in Parliament on Thursday, arguing that other MPs have crossed the chamber without being punished. This is about Māori expression being policed, she said, accusing Parliament of applying double standards.
Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee had called for a consensus to be reached before voting, acknowledging the cultural and political sensitivity of the issue. However, efforts to find common ground failed, and the government majority secured enough votes to pass the suspensions.
The decision followed hours of emotional speeches. While some MPs defended the protest as a legitimate cultural expression, government members insisted on upholding parliamentary rules, rejecting all calls for lighter sanctions.
The Māori Party, Te Pāti Māori, has stood by its MPs, stating that the haka was a rightful act of resistance in defense of Indigenous rights. This is not just about discipline it’s about whose voices are silenced, said co-leader Rawiri Waititi.
The incident has reignited national conversations about the role of Māori culture in political spaces. Critics say the punishment reflects institutional discomfort with Māori identity and activism, while supporters argue that parliamentary procedure must be respected by all.
Despite some talk of filibustering, opposition MPs ultimately agreed to end debate, acknowledging that the vote outcome was inevitable. Still, the episode has left lasting tensions, with many warning it could damage the relationship between Māori communities and the government.
The suspended lawmakers will be barred from participating in debates or votes during their suspension periods but will retain their seats and salaries. Their absence is symbolic and, some say, a sign of deepening division over cultural recognition in New Zealand’s political system.
