Photo: VNP/Louis Collins
Three Te Pāti Māori MPs are awaiting a decision on their suspension from Parliament for the "disruption" haka 'Ka Mate' caused during the in-house voting on the Treaty Principles Bill.
It has been recommended to the speaker of the house by the privileges committee that party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngārewa-Packer, and MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, receive a stand-down of 21 days and seven sitting days respectively.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust kaiwhakahaere Rachel Arnott - whose rohe Ngarewa-Packer represents in Parliament - said the use of haka in the House was clearly a measured response to a deliberately divisive bill.
"For Parliament to treat Ka Mate as a disruption shows how little it understands or respects who we are."
The decision will be debated on Tuesday.
If agreed to by the House, the three MPs will not receive a salary for the relevant period, will not be attending Budget Day 2025, and it would be the harshest punishment ever given out by the Privileges Committee.
The longest suspension previously was former Prime Minister Robert Muldoon, who was suspended for three days.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Ngarewa-Packer is the elected MP for Te Tai Hauāuru, and is a descendant of Ngāti Ruahine, Ngāruahine, Ngā Rauru, and Ngati Ruanui.
Ngarewa-Packer had spent more than a decade as the CEO of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui before Arnott was appointed in 2020.
"Communication is at the very heart of politics and Members of Parliament, no matter their stripes, need to be able to express themselves freely. Picking and choosing when Parliament acknowledges Tikanga Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not acceptable," Arnott said.
Arnott said labelling defenders of Te Tiriti as lawbreakers detracts, and distracts, from the deeply disturbing cultural exclusion being inflicted by this government.
"This is a calculated attempt to silence Māori voices at a time when Te Tiriti is under sustained attack, te reo is being undermined, and Māori are being pushed to the margins once again.
"Make no mistake, this is not democracy. This is punishment for being unapologetically Māori."
Ngarewa-Packer was first elected into parliament in 2020 - iwi Ngāti Ruanui had supported her political career pursuit.
"To see her targeted for one of the most serious punishments ever to be doled out is unacceptable to Ngāti Ruanui," Arnott said.
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