Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:04pm on 05 Jun 2025,Thursday International
New Zealand's parliament has suspended three Te Pati Maori MPs for performing a protest haka during a November 2024 debate. Co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer received 21-day bans, while 22-year-old Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke was suspended for 7 days after showing contrition. The protest interrupted a vote on a now-scrapped bill that aimed to redefine the Treaty of Waitangi, sparking widespread Maori backlash. Maipi-Clarke condemned the sanctions, asking, "Are our voices too loud for this house?" The suspensions are the longest in parliamentary history. Critics say the move silences Indigenous voices defending Maori rights and culture in the legislature.
