New Zealand Parliament votes for record suspensions of 3 MPs

New Zealand Parliament votes for record suspensions of 3 MPs

In New Zealand, Parliament decided on Thursday a record -breaking suspension for three MPs who have a māori-haka to protest against a proposed law.

Details on the suspends

Hana-rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke received a seven-day lock, while the leaders of their political party, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, were excluded from Parliament for 21 days. Previously, a three-day lock was the longest, which was imposed on a MP in New Zealand Parliament.

The background of the protest

The MPs of Te Pāti Māori, the Māori party, had the haka-a Singing dance of the challenge last November to be listed against a to demonstrate largely unpopular law , which in her opinion would withdraw the indigenous rights. This law has now been rejected.

reactions and debates in parliament

The protest made headlines worldwide and triggered months of tense discussions among MPs about the appropriate consequences for the behavior of the MPs. The dispute also revolved around the question of whether the New Zealand Parliament appreciates the Māori culture or felt threatened by it.

recommendations of the committee

A committee of Parliamentarians recommended the long punishments in a report in April. It found that the MPs were not punished for the HAKA themselves, but for the fact that they approached their opponents during the performance over the floor of the debate. Maipi-Clarke rejected this on Thursday and referred to other cases in which MPs left their place without sanctions and approached their opponents.

Voting and results

It was expected that the suspends are approved because the government parties in parliament have more seats than the opposition and thus the necessary votes for confirmation. However, the punishment was so strict that Parliament President Gerry Brownlee ordered a free debate among MPs in April and asked them to find a consensus about the measures.

The end of the debate

On Thursday, however, no such consensus was reached. During emotional speeches, the members of the government rejected the opposition to milder punishments. There were considerations that the opposition MPs could extend the debate through filibust -like speeches for days or even longer, but since the result was already certain and nobody changed his opinion, all MPs agreed that the debate should be ended.