Waititi blasts ‘racist rhetoric’
Ma¯ori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi was kicked out of the House after protesting the National Party’s rhetoric on race issues with a haka.
Waititi, in a fiery interjection during Question Time yesterday, said National Party leader Judith Collins was pushing ‘‘racist propaganda and rhetoric towards tangata whenua’’ and bringing the House into disrepute.
The National Party has in the past two weeks launched an attack on the Labour Government over a claimed ‘‘separatist agenda’’, targeting the Government’s proposed Ma¯ori Health Authority among other policies which aim to fulfil partnership responsibilities in the Treaty of Waitangi.
Collins pursued the matter again yesterday. Ma¯ori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, in an interjectory question, asked for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s view on whether Collins’ ‘‘continued attack on Ma¯ori was racist?’’.
Speaker Trevor Mallard ruled out the question as it was not within the areas of Ardern’s responsibility.
After Ardern answered a further question from Collins, Waititi stood up to seek ‘‘advice’’ from the Speaker.
‘‘Over the past two weeks there has been racist propaganda and rhetoric towards tangata whenua, that is not only insulting to tangata whenua, but diminishes the mana of this House,’’ Waititi said.
Mallard said, though some views could cause discomfort, it was his responsibility to let a ‘‘broad range’’ of views be aired in the House.
Waititi rose again to raise another point of order he promised was ‘‘fresh and different’’, as the Speaker required under Parliament’s rules.
‘‘When it comes to views of indigenous rights and indigenous peoples, those views must be from those indigenous peoples for the indigenous rights of our people. They can’t be determined by people who are not indigenous.
‘‘We find this thing, this attitude acceptable in this House, a constant barrage of insults to tangata whenua, then I find this House in disrupt.’’
Told to sit down by Mallard, Waititi stepped into the middle of the House and began a haka, followed by Ngarewa-Packer who gave a pu¯kana toward Collins, as Mallard ordered Waititi out of the House.
Ngarewa-Packer and Green MP Teanau Tuiono walked out of the House in solidarity.
Outside the House, Waititi said the continuous ‘‘bashing’’ of Ma¯ori from National was inciting racism on social media and Parliament shouldn’t broadcast it.
‘‘This has incited racism with venom towards Ma¯ori, because of this type of propaganda and rhetoric – we won’t stand for it any more,’’ Waititi said. ‘‘It’s got nothing to do with shutting down the National Party. I’m sure the National Party has many policies as according to them, that benefit Aotearoa. But the Opposition leader has been constantly bashing Ma¯ori to gain the votes of her Pa¯keha¯ constituents. That’s all it is.’’
Ngarewa-Packer said the matter concerned the dignity of the House itself and the Speaker should step in. ‘‘It’s not right that the Speaker hasn’t got the courage to stop racism in the House.’’
Collins, speaking to reporters afterward, said it was ‘‘lazy’’ to say she was being racist. She said she did not see ‘‘bad behaviour from most of the parties in Parliament’’.
Asked for her response to Ma¯ori being upset by her line of attack, she said Ardern ‘‘needs to answer my questions’’.
‘‘If she continues to obfuscate, talk about everything except answering my questions, and refuses to have a national conversation with New Zealanders in an adult manner, then I’m going to continue to ask those questions.
‘‘I’d like all Ma¯ori to know that this is not talking about Ma¯ori. This is talking about constitutional arrangements that the Government is clearly talking to Ma¯ori about.’’