New Zealand MP thrown out of parliament for performing Maori haka in protest against ‘racist arguments’
Rawiri Waititi was also booted out of parliament in February for not wearing a tie
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An MP from New Zealand’s indigenous community was kicked out of parliament on Wednesday for performing a Maori haka in protest at what he said were racist arguments.
Rawiri Waititi, who is the co-leader of New Zealand’s Maori party, was taking part in a debate about the government’s plans to set up a new Maori Health Authority.
The creation of the new authority is part of a set of changes that are being brought into the healthcare system, but some conservative politicians have said the plan amounts to segregation. The 40-year-old Mr Waititi, however, said such arguments amounted to racist rhetoric.
Mr Waititi told a fellow MP that he was forced to listen to a "constant barrage of insults" directed toward indigenous people. He said if that kind of attitude was acceptable then he finds the “House in disrepute.”
Mr Waititi, who was standing till then, was asked to sit by speaker Trevor Mallard. Instead, he started to perform the haka.
The speaker then asked him to “leave the chamber”, following which Mr Waititi along with his party’s other co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, walked out.
It is not the first time that the Maori leader has been in conflict with the speaker. Earlier this year, in February, he was asked to leave parliament in a confrontation over the official dress code.
According to the code, Mr Waititi was supposed to wear a traditional Western-style tie for men, which he described as a “colonial noose”. He had instead come wearing a traditional pendant around his neck called a hei tiki.
The following day he won the battle against wearing a tie, ending a longstanding dress requirement in the process, as the speaker backed down. After a committee of lawmakers came out in favour of ending the requirement, the speaker ruled that neckties would no longer be compulsory.
Additional reporting by agencies
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments