NZ MPs in Official Trouble Over Haka in Parliament

Three MPs from the Māori Party and one from Labour have been referred to the Privileges Committee after they interrupted voting on a contentious bill.

This frame grab taken from a New Zealand Parliament TV feed dated Nov. 14, 2024, and released via AFPTV on Nov. 15 shows Maori lawmaker Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke (C) standing up during a first reading of the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill and performing a Haka dance as she is joined by other opposition members. New Zealand Parliament /AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images

The video has been viewed more than 700 million times, but it is the view of Parliament’s Privileges Committee, which will determine the fate of four MPs who performed a haka (a traditional Māori challenge) that interrupted a vote on the Treaty Principles Bill.

Their performance during the first reading of the Bill, which seeks to codify the meaning of the Treaty of Waitangi into law, made headlines worldwide.