Parliament has voted to adjourn the debate on proposed punishments for three members of Te Pāti Māori party after they performed a haka during the reading of a controversial Bill.
The MPs were reacting to the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill on November 14 last year. Introduced by coalition partner ACT, the Bill aimed to clarify the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) and to establish a clear legal framework for how these principles should be understood and applied in New Zealand law.
Some critics argued the Bill undermined Māori rights and would disrupt established interpretations of the Treaty. The Bill was defeated at its second reading last month.
The Privileges Committee has recommended to the Speaker that party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngārewa-Packer, and MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke (who ripped up a copy of the Bill before leading the haka Ka Mate, but later showed contrition) receive stand-downs of 21 and seven sitting days, respectively.
During the haka, Ngārewa-Packer simulated firing a gun at an ACT MP.
The debate started at 3pm but 20 minutes later, MPs had voted 68-55 to adjourn it until the next sitting day after Thursday's Budget, on June 5.
Coalition parties National, NZ First and ACT voted for the debate to be adjourned, while opposition parties Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori voted against.
Parliament's public gallery was closed today, but a protest was planned on the forecourt in Wellington.
Iwi say a suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs is a "punishment for being unapologetically Māori".
"It is not about haka, it is not about tikanga [customs and traditions], it's about the rules of Parliament."
Labour leader Chris Hipkins moved an amendment to reduce the punishment to 24 hours for the co-leaders instead of 21 days and proposed that Maipi-Clarke not be suspended at all.
He acknowledged the MPs were being sanctioned for breaking the rules of the House, "but we have never seen a sanction of this nature" in New Zealand's history.
"It is never OK to intimidate another member of the House," he said, but felt the punishments proposed were disproportionate. He believed it was wrong for a government to use its majority to suspend and remove its political opponents.
Leader of the House and government minister Chris Bishop then moved that the debate be adjourned until June 5, to allow the MPs to take part in the Budget debate.
While the punishments recommended by the Privileges Committee would remain as they are, the House's vote on the report would take place following the Budget, he said.
"The actions that led to these punishments were unprecedented in their disrespect for Parliament and the taxpayers to whom we are accountable. Our position on the recommended punishments remains unchanged."
Bishop said it was critical there were consequences for wrongdoing in Parliament.
"Te Pāti Māori co-leaders have never accepted what they did was wrong. They have never apologised despite many opportunities, and it is not clear they even accept the jurisdiction of the Privileges Committee. They have never turned up to explain themselves despite numerous opportunities.
"The Budget is the central Parliamentary event of the year, which gives the House the chance to debate and then either endorse or reject the government's spending plans. Constitutionally, there is nothing more important than the Budget process which gives the House the opportunity to express confidence in the government."
Bishop said deferring consideration of the debate meant all members would have the opportunity to debate and vote on the Budget.
"If the Leader of the Opposition [Chris Hipkins] wants to waste taxpayers' time by dragging out the debate on the Privileges Committee's report and advocating for Te Pāti Māori and its breaches of Parliament's rules, he is welcome to. But New Zealanders will see that for what it is."
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has flatly rejected any concessions being made and doubled down this morning, saying the government stands by the recommendations in the Privileges Committee report.
ACT leader David Seymour, whose Bill prompted the haka, told RNZ ahead of the debate Te Pāti Māori's actions showed its MPs believed their behaviour was acceptable.
"I hope the debate will be over very quickly ... this is Budget week and New Zealanders deserve to see how the government will manage the economy over the coming year, not hijinks in response to very wrong hijinks of Te Pāti Māori. These are unprecedented offences and they deserve unprecedented penalties."
The Green Party said the proposed suspension was unprecedented and of concern to all the party's MPs, so it was likely they would want to speak at the debate.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters was removed from the House, before today's debate began, at the request of the Speaker, RNZ reported.
During Question Time, Peters asked Luxon if "Māorification" would be him getting a tan on Thursday, in response to questions by Ngārewa-Packer.
The Speaker made several warnings to MPs for outbursts and questions not considered on topic, before reaching his limit with Peters' comment.
NZ First said it supported the Privileges Committee's recommendation.
- ODT Online and RNZ
