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The recent suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs for their disruptive haka during a parliamentary vote over the Treaty Principles Bill is yet another low point in their tiresome saga of performative nonsense. The NZ Herald’s coverage, predictably, parrots their talking points and frames this as some noble ‘cultural expression’ rather than what it was: a brazen violation of parliamentary rules and a contemptuous display of entitlement. No, Te Pāti Māori’s antics are a calculated middle finger to the institution of the New Zealand Parliament and all the New Zealanders it serves.
No remorse and no accountability, just more posturing. Te Pāti Māori’s MPs, led by the perpetually aggrieved, didn’t even pretend to respect the Speaker’s ruling or the democratic process they’re sworn to uphold. Instead, they doubled down, cloaking their rule-breaking in the tired guise of cultural pride. This wasn’t about a ‘primitive foot stomping exercise’, as some might dismiss it – it was about deliberately derailing debate, undermining order and treating parliament like their personal stage for grievance theatre. If they’re so allergic to the rules, why not just quit? Pack up, walk out and spare us the sanctimonious lectures about sovereignty while they flout the very system they’re paid to participate in.
The Labour Party, in a desperate bid to stay relevant, has now chained itself to this sinking ship. By aligning with Te Pāti Māori and the equally unhinged Greens, they’ve abandoned any pretence of representing the mainstream. Good luck selling that to the voters. Meanwhile, NZ First and the ACT Party are quietly reaping the rewards and capitalising on a growing public exasperation with this circus. A recent poll showed most New Zealanders supported the suspensions – many wanted harsher penalties. The National Party, spineless as ever, risks alienating this majority if they don’t grow a backbone and stop pandering to the perpetually offended.
Let’s be blunt: New Zealand is over it. We’re past peak Māori activism and sick to death of the relentless racial divisiveness pushed by Te Pāti Māori and their enablers. The constant cries of victimhood and the weaponisation of culture to justify bad behavior – it’s exhausting and it’s divisive. The majority of Kiwis, Māori and non-Māori alike, just want a government that works for all, not one held hostage by a small group who think the rules don’t apply to them.
Te Pāti Māori’s contempt for parliament is a microcosm of their broader contempt for a unified New Zealand. If they can’t play by the rules, they don’t deserve a seat at the table. It’s time for them to either shape up or ship out – and for the media to stop romanticising their tantrums as anything other than what they are: a disgrace.
