Unplanned haka halts New Zealand Parliament after MP’s speech

WELLINGTON – New Zealand’s Parliament was suspended for a short period on Oct 9 when people in the public gallery broke into a haka, a traditional Maori dance, after the newest MP for the Maori party finished her maiden speech.

Te Pati Maori’s Ms Oriini Kaipara was elected to Parliament in September to fill a vacant seat and made her first speech to the House on Oct 9.

Following the speech, MPs from across the House and those in the public gallery sang a planned and approved Maori song to celebrate her arrival.

The public gallery then erupted into an unsanctioned haka and some MPs joined in.

Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee asked them to stop. “No, not that. The guarantee was that would not be taking place,” he said.

When they continued, he suspended the sitting.

Parliamentarians and political parties must get permission if they or their supporters want to sing or perform a haka in the public gallery.

Parliament later resumed, and Mr Brownlee said he planned to investigate whether any party or MPs had prior knowledge of the haka, describing the public gallery’s actions as contemptuous.

In June, three members of Te Pati Maori received historically lengthy suspensions for

performing a haka to disrupt the vote on a contentious Bill

that would reinterpret a 184-year-old treaty between the British and Indigenous Maori.

The Bill has since failed to pass into law.

The haka was traditionally a way for Maori to welcome visiting tribes or to invigorate warriors ahead of battle.

It is now performed at important events and ahead of matches by New Zealand’s rugby teams. REUTERS