Speaker's handling of hīkoi 'overkill' - Te Paati Māori

Te Pāti Māori has taken aim at the Speaker Gerry Brownlee, saying his management of yesterday's protest hīkoi was "overkill".

More than 40,000 people marched against the Treaty Principles Bill yesterday; one of the largest demonstrations Parliament has ever seen.

Te Pāti Māori helped organise the nationwide hīkoi and now say the Speaker - charged with managing Parliament's grounds - got too involved in yesterday's mass gathering.

"Our staff were locked from being able to come out and give water to the protesters, or to the whānau," co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said.

"He also blocked the wifi access; our staff weren't able to do things that they would normally do in their mahi... it was a real overkill."

Reflecting on the Speaker can be considered an attack on the House itself and in contempt of Parliament.

It's been punished six times in New Zealand - most recently in 1998.

Ngarewa-Packer said Te Pāti Māori's caucus had discussed complaining to the Speaker; a party representative later confirming to RNZ that this would happen in the next day or so.

"There were absolutely no incidents. It was always peaceful. For nine days we showed that discipline and our aroha to the nation and indeed to the world.

"So the Speaker has overused his powers and done a whole lot of things he's never done to any other protests."

The Speaker's Office has been approached for comment.

MPs weigh in on potential changes to Parliament's rules

The Speaker has received letters from New Zealand First, National and the ACT Party raising a matter of privilege about last week's haka in the debating chamber.

Te Pāti Māori's Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke led opposition parties in 'Ka Mate' on Thursday as the Treaty Principles Bill was being voted on.

Photographs and videos of Maipi-Clarke have now gone around the world, clocking more than 400 million views on the social media app TikTok.

New Zealand First Minister Shane Jones yesterday told the House he had concerns Standing Orders (Parliament's rules) were "incapable of dealing" with such an event.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the Standing Orders needed to be clarified so difficult debates didn't "degenerate into disruption".

"No disrespect, what we saw on Thursday was unacceptable and we need to make sure that we can have debates on difficult subjects without people threatening other members inside of Parliament.

"It's pretty basic and I appreciate whether it's around haka or individuals walking up to other individuals in the Parliament and going off at them; that's not acceptable behaviour."

ACT leader David Seymour said he would support tougher sanctions for people disrupting Parliament.

"I think Te Pāti Māori's behaviour has presented a very specific challenge. It is people who are actually quite proud to undermine the mana of Parliament.

"People who say you have to follow tikanga aren't prepared to follow it here. In fact, they think their supporters will back them more if they behave dishonorably within the House because their objective is to discredit the Parliament and they openly say they'd like to set up another parliament."

"The Parliament needs a way, I think, of disciplining people who are directly trying to undermine the Parliament. How you could do that: more direct, longer penalties, suppressing their ability to share that kind of information or impression.

"For a long time, Parliament's worked on the basis that people are really proud to be a part of it and feel ashamed to undermine its procedures. We don't really have rules to take on people who are proud of undermining Parliament."

Speaking today, Jones said Te Pāti Māori were practicing "TikTok culture", adding they weren't the only purveyors of Māori culture.

"I think the standing orders need to be given a dose of robustness. It's important that we deter Parliamentarians from bringing the House into disrepute.

"I don't think it's fair to say that the House hates haka, but when haka overwhelmes voting and the traditions and conventions of how you ought to be a Parliamentarian during voting then I think haka should play second fiddle."

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