New Zealand passes record suspension of lawmakers over haka
New Zealand passes record suspension of lawmakers over haka
The New Zealand Parliament has voted to impose record suspensions on three lawmakers who did a Maori haka as a protest. The incident took place last November during a debate on a law on Indigenous rights.
The New Zealand Parliament has voted to impose record suspensions on three lawmakers who did a Maori haka as a protest. The incident took place last November during a debate on a law on Indigenous rights.
New Zealand's parliament on Thursday agreed to lengthy suspensions for three lawmakers who disrupted the reading of a controversial bill last year by performing a haka, a traditional Maori dance.
Two parliamentarians — Te Pati Maori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi — were suspended for 21 days and one — Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, from the same party — for seven days.
Before now, the longest suspension of a parliamentarian in New Zealand was three days.
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Well that sounds like some quality racism over there.
Do you believe that every party in every parliament in the world should be able to just stop parliament from working instead of trying to actually vote for laws/bills the way they think is right because they are sure that they are right and their voice aren't being heard (even if they are minority in the said parliament or don't have quorum)?
It was a performance point of which was disruption of parliament session, which was achieved. (I have 0 stakes in this, NZ might as well be in another universe)
But fillerbusters are appropriate process of disturbing voting that are not a treats to democracy, right?
There is more to voting than casting a vote.
These people are underrepresented and standing up for their constituents, suspend them so they can stop doing that!
If they are underrepresented, why other Maori don't vote for their party? Is there some kind of voter suppression scheme going on? If there is that's probably was a right move that can move this problem out of unspoken/shadow consensus, if there isn't then it's just one party disrupting parliament because they can't get what they want.
Even if all Maori voted for them, they only would have 19%. That means they would still not be able to have political power.
The system is rigged, giving the huge number of colonizers an advantage over the native population. Australia has a similar problem.
As far as I can see 26% of New Zealand's politicians identify as Maori, including the man who was Deputy Prime Minister during this haka.
Indigenous people are not monolithic.
New Zealand also has a carve out of Maori seats which is meaningful because it has proportional representation. This is what Australia could have eventually done with Indigenous Voice but there is no political appetite for it in Australia, plus the Aboriginal and Torres Straits people make up a far smaller percentage.
Regretfully, democracy can be viewed as a dictature of majority over minority. I don't think that there can be any clear cut answer to it. As for colonizers vs colonized, how far back do you consider this should go? As in any person of european descent forever in the future will be considered colonizer instead of people born on this land?
A good democracy has checks and balances to protect minorities from mob rule /tyrrany of the majority.
That is actually what this protest is about - the ruling party wants to remove some of those legal safeguards.
New Zealand's political system has proportional representation. Maori will most likely be in partial control after their next election.
I think as long as the colonizers maintain an economically superior position, and keep the political power, there can be no real integration.
democracy can be viewed as a dictatorship of the majority
No. If you had even the most basic theoretical background on the subject you'd know how wrong this statement is. Yet people like you dangerously believe this surface level third grade understanding of democratic systems somehow makes them an expert.
This is an extremely vague statement that focuses on me instead of showing me and people like me where exactly we are wrong. Majority rule absolutely is common denominator in most democratic systems, so show me how it isn't.
It's 2025, I'm not your middle school teacher, I'm not going to "show you" anything. Go learn the subject yourself, or don't and keep repeating nonsense as if it were some deep insight, either way I'm fine.
Of course you won't. 🤡
I think the issue is more that they went from a 3 day suspension being the record high for disruptive behavior to suddenly 21 for these minority members.
A lawmaker during the arguments said that they had previously given zero suspension to a fistfight, someone driving their truck onto the buildings steps in protest, another member crossing the floor to bump another members desk. But this dance is 21 days.
This does look like they are specifically singled out, true.
Do you believe that every party in every parliament in the world should be able to just stop parliament from working instead of trying to actually vote for laws/bills
Plenty of parliamentarians getting kicked out of western parliaments for wearing t-shirts with slogans, holding up signs, suchlike. Suspensions generally are extraordinarily short and little more than "ok we'll give you some time to change into respectable attire". Also make a scene? Add a day. Make them watch from the visitor's benches. Pay attention they don't miss (relevant) votes.
That would have been the proper reaction: The proper way to handle ritual stunts (and they're a ritual, also the t-shirt thing) is with ritual slaps on the wrist.
The NZ reaction? They're suspending parliamentarians for unprecedented amounts of time, and on top of that while the budget is being passed. That is, they're fucking with the distribution of votes, which is fucking with the foundations of democracy. That is, for a parliament, nothing less than a declaration of bankruptcy.
Do you believe that every party in every parliament in the world should be able to just stop parliament from working instead of trying to actually vote for laws/bills the way they think is right because they are sure that they are right and their voice aren’t being heard (even if they are minority in the said parliament or don’t have quorum)?
My legislative body has the filibuster and I think it has a useful function, so yes!
BTW, there's no good reason whatsoever the NZ parliament couldn't have resumed business after the haka. None at all.
The only reason they didn't was because the leadership decided to feign performative fear and end the session in order to manufacture an excuse to punish the native legislators and exclude them from influencing the budget.
So don't comment with ignorant babble then.
Please, educate me what did I get wrong from reading the article? Or was your comment just for public shaming?
Either you're a shill, a turfer, or a moron, or maybe you have legit said something stupid and dont understand why.
I dont know where you are from, or what culture you are but, what would you propose to do to indicate that something is unacceptable, after having stated that many many times, and the people who have traditionally murdered your people for being "savages"opt to ignore you many times, and are the people that hold power? Just say "this is unacceptable" and take the loss, while just allowing your constituents to get fucked?
I do not disagree with their action, in contrary it's refreshing to see politician with consciense that try to actually do what they are hired to do. Question is - what now? If other parties would do the same and just stop session without any reprecussion (because they hold majority, or due to other reasons).
Tap for spoiler
Please stop with personal attacks.
You sound like Hillary Clinton talking about being pragmatic (while completely missing the point.) Like people who complain about protesters blocking roads because it inconveniences their commute. Maybe that's your intent or maybe you don't understand that civility can be a form of oppression?
Good lord dot world is filled with the most pathetic fucking losers imaginable
Hey! He's from .cafe, not .world.
Elaborate, what exactly do you think is wrong with my post?
At least your instance is shutting down.
Ohhh nooo not “my instance” lol you dork
My comment has more bite than yours about .world, nerd.
K
What's a filibuster?
Thank you, I've learned a new english word today. 😺
Conceptually it looks like a flaw in the system and in my opinion is undesirable, do you disagree?
american here. you're entirely right, it's out-and-out an exploit of some vagueness in our constitution but we're conditioned to see it as a somehow important feature of our democracy. there's even a famous movie called Mr Smith Goes To Washington where the good guy saves the day with a filibuster. in real life it's usually used to fuck us over anytime something meaningful looks like it might pass.
that said, the response what happened in the NZ parliament remains some disproportionate and corrupt BS.
Did that really go right over your head? Unbelievable!
they're right, filibusters are bullshit and shouldn't exist. it's an exploit that was never intended and never fixed.
You are missing the point. Reread the thread.
i didn't miss anything, you presented a bad example and it got shut down immediately.
A tactic used when the person speaking has been recognized to speak according to the rules of the legislature. I don't really see why that's relevant here though?
It was rhetorical but go on queen.
No, see, it should be allowed when we agree with the people making the disruption. Otherwise absolutely not!