Speaker Gerry Brownlee has suspended the House of Representatives after a haka, led by Te Pāti Māori and performed by members in the public gallery, interrupted the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill.

As thousands continue to protest and hīkoi around Aotearoa, the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill took place in parliament. Labour MP Willie Jackson became the first politician ejected from the house by speaker Gerry Brownlee, after refusing to withdraw and apologise for referring to David Seymour as a liar.

There were half a dozen attempts by Te Pāti Māori members to scupper the bill by raising points of order. All were dismissed by the speaker.

As the members voted on progressing the bill to a second reading, Te Pāti Māori was called upon to share its party’s votes. Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke stood, expressed their six votes opposing the bill, then began a haka – specifically Ka Mate – and appeared to tear the bill in half. As Te Pāti Māori MPs stood to perform, Brownlee sighed and said “no, don’t do that”. Soon, spectators in the public gallery joined in on the haka, as did Green Party members. Members of Te Pāti Māori approached Seymour’s bench during the haka.

Brownlee then announced he was suspending the sitting and asked for the gallery to be cleared, while cries of “pokokōhua” rang out from Maipi-Clarke and the gallery.

Upon resumption of the house, a vote was put to its members to suspend the services of Maipi-Clarke for “appallingly disrespectful misconduct” and “pre-meditated action to disrupt the house”. The vote passed and Maipi-Clarke was suspended from the house for the afternoon. Seymour then questioned if the other members who stood and joined in with the haka should also be removed. Brownlee disagreed, stating that the naming of a member for misconduct was “a very serious matter” and is a “very, very high penalty that should be reserved only for the instigator”.

The Bill was then put to a vote to proceed to the Select Committee stage, before the Justice Committee, passing successfully with 68 votes in favour and 55 opposed. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick then tried in vain to have the Bill put to a conscience vote, which was rejected by Brownlee as it had not been raised with him in a timely manner (before the bill was voted upon a first time).

Earlier, members across the House spoke on the divisive bill. Here are some key quotes from what has been a tense afternoon in the House of Representatives.

David Seymour

“What all of these principles have in common is that they afford Māori different rights from other New Zealanders and I know why that is – lawyers.”

“There is one question they (lawyers) cannot answer – where in the world is it a good idea to give citizens different rights based on ancestry.”

Willie Jackson

“I said some time ago that he – David Seymour – is the country’s most dangerous politician, and that has come to pass.”

“I denounce this foul attempt to rewrite the constitutional framework of this nation, simply because the prime minister is too weak to stop the dangerous extremism of the Act party.”

“This is for you David Seymour. You fuel hatred and misinformation in this country, you bring out the worst in New Zealanders, you should be ashamed of yourself, and you are a liar.”

Chlöe Swarbrick

“This is not just about Māori, this is about all of us.”

“Capitalism needs colonisation.”

“You do not need to be personally responsible for the historical dishonouring of te Tiriti o Waitangi to actively benefit from that horrific legacy today.”

“The power in this place, in this parliament was built on a legacy of deceit, dehumanisation, and domination.”

“If you wear the mask for a little while, it becomes your face. We are what we do. If you vote for this bill, this is who you are and this is how you will be remembered.”

Paul Goldsmith

“Those opposed to the changes will likely conclude that fundamental change is being imposed on them by the majority if it were to pass. That would risk stoking an already keen sense of grievance. It would risk increasing divisions in our country, rather than reducing them.”

Rawiri Waititi

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi is superior to any person and any law ever created in this house.”

“The only reason this house exists is because our rangatira consented to it.”

“Act are seen to be pulling the strings and running the country like the KKK with a swipe card to the beehive.”

“Luxon doesn’t care, there’s a ghost in his chair.”

“Seymour, see you next Tuesday.”

Louise Upston

“It is simply not realistic to suggest 184 years of debate can be settled with the broad stroke of a pen.”

This is Public Interest Journalism Funded by NZ On Air.