New Zealand parliament briefly suspended after politicians begin haka protest over Maori rights bill

New Zealand's parliament was briefly suspended on Thursday (Nov. 14) after a controversial Maori bill triggered a haka dance protest, raging debate, and personal attacks.

The bill proposed to radically alter the way New Zealand's treaty between Maori and the crown is interpreted.

The Treaty of Waitangi, an agreement first signed in 1840 between more than 500 Maori chiefs and the crown, lays down how the two sides agreed to govern.

Moreover, it works for upholding Maori rights.

As parliamentarians gathered for a preliminary vote on the bill, Te Pati Maori MPs stood up and began the traditional Maori dance, haka.

MP for Hauraki Waikato, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, began the haka after tearing the bill in the parliament.

New Zealand 🇳🇿

In an intense scene, the Māori haka briefly halted New Zealand MPs from casting their votes on the Treaty Principles Bill, igniting powerful reactions and concluding a fiery debate.

What are your thoughts—do symbolic acts like this make a stronger impact on… pic.twitter.com/4HgXCH3woB — Thomas Musket ⓒ (@ThomasMusket) November 14, 2024

The principles of the treaty have been implemented for over 50 years by court tribunals and successive governments to help guide the relationship between Maori and ruling authorities.

Meanwhile, many principles have been developed and continue to evolve, but the most recognised and broadly ones are participation, partnership, protection, and redress.

The court rulings and a separate Maori tribunal have seen an expansion in Maori rights and privileges over the decades.

However, some argue that this has discriminated against non-Indigenous citizens.

The critics of the bill said that the act's proposal undermines the treaty and its principles, which according to them threaten Maori rights and promote anti-Maori rhetoric.

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Protesters on a nine-day march

This attracted significant backlash from the public, as many Māori and their supporters saw this as undermining the rights of the country's Indigenous people, who make up around 20 per cent of the population of 5.3 million.

Hundreds of people have begun a nine-day march, or hikoi, from New Zealand's north to the national capital of Wellington in protest over the legislation.

The protesters will arrive in Wellington next Tuesday, where tens of thousands of people are expected to gather for a big rally.

Speaking in the house, Act’s leader, David Seymour, said the principles “afford Māori different rights from other New Zealanders … The purpose of this bill is to break this parliament’s 49 years of silence to define the principles in law so it is crystal clear what the treaty means to modern New Zealanders”.

His address was met with disapproval from opposition parties, prompting the speaker of the house to repeatedly ask for the "barrage" of rebuttals to stop.

Further, over 40 king's counsel lawyers wrote an open letter to New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and the attorney general Judith Collins, and urged them to abandon the bill.

The justice committee is expected to hear submissions on the bill, which will probably take six months. After this, it will return to Parliament for a second reading.

(With inputs from agencies)