Te Pati Maori ran its own swearing in ceremony in Parliament, and three MPs appeared to insult King Charles during the official ceremony as well.
When Te Pati Maori MPs were called to pledge allegiance to the King, they each stood to first pledge allegiance to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, mokopuna and tikanga Maori, before they approached the Clerk of the House to make the legally-required affirmation.
The alternative ceremony happened in the House, while all 123 MPs were sworn in. The Maori Party alternative process even involved signing a document, on the desk of co-leader Rawiri Waititi.
But Stuff noticed that three Te Pati Maori MPs, co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Waititi and Te Tai Tonga MP Takuta Ferris, did not stick to the script.
Instead of pledging allegiance to ‘King Charles III’, or in te reo ‘Kingi Tiare te Tuatoru’, the two MPs referred to Kingi Harehare te Tuatoru.
In te reo Maori, harehare can be an insult which refers to a rash. In this phrase, it could be translated as an insult, meaning the rash king, or the objectionable King.
The oaths from Waititi, Ngarewa-Packer and Ferris read:
Stuff
E ki ana i runga i te pono, i te tika, i te ngakau tapatahi me te whakau ano ka noho pirihonga, ka noho pumau ki Kingi harehare te tuatoru, me ona kahui whakaheke e ai ke te ture.
They were meant to say:
E ki ana i runga i te pono, i te tika, i te ngakau tapatahi me te whakau ano ka noho pirihonga, ka noho pumau ki a Kingi Tiare te Tuatoru me tona kahui whakaheke e ai ke te ture.
It did not appear that Clerk of the House David Wilson picked up on the amended oaths. It’s also unclear if the oaths from Ferris and Waititi will be accepted or if they will be asked to redo the process.
Waititi and Ferris insisted they had not insulted the King.
Ferris told Stuff that “Hare” was “East Coast for Charles”. “Emphatic for Charles,” he said.
But Ferris is from Te Waipounamu, which also happens to be where I’m from. And in Te Tau Ihu, Hare has a very different meaning… it means scab.
Stuff
Rude, insulting, disrespectful…and all on just 3.08% of the vote. They are a disgrace and their grandstanding, protests, and alternate swearing ceremonies all amount to nothing.
It reminds me of the famous lines from Shakespeare’s MacBeth:
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
- William Shakespeare
That sums up Te Pati Maori beautifully, far more accurately than anything their ‘culture’ has produced, that is for sure.
Their little protest is done, but they had to make the oath to the King anyway, as they couldn’t be trotters deep in the trough without it.
Cam Slater is a New Zealand-based blogger, best known for his role in Dirty Politics and publishing the Whale Oil Beef Hooked blog, which operated from 2005 until it closed in 2019. Cam blogs regularly on the BFD - where this article was sourced.
That sums up Te Pati Maori beautifully, far more accurately than anything their ‘culture’ has produced, that is for sure.
Their little protest is done, but they had to make the oath to the King anyway, as they couldn’t be trotters deep in the trough without it.
Cam Slater is a New Zealand-based blogger, best known for his role in Dirty Politics and publishing the Whale Oil Beef Hooked blog, which operated from 2005 until it closed in 2019. Cam blogs regularly on the BFD - where this article was sourced.
8 comments:
Exactly, no oath, no pay.
Faced with the misfortune of working for a crust TPM will buckle every time.
I did like the silly costumes, dressed like chickens and huffing and puffing away. Best laugh I’ve had in ages.
I'm glad that you took the trouble to point out the discrepancies in what these deceitful people did in the swearing of their oaths. Thank you.
But REALLY we now have to ignore them - treat them with the disdain they deserve. They are not only ludicrous ignoramuses, they are sooo BORING!
In the period 1840 to 1843, the British considered that they have failed in New Zealand with the Treaty.
One of the main reasons was that they felt that they had been too soft on Maori.
Commenting on this problem, the former colonial secretary Lord John Russell (right) said in 1843, “This is the consequence of want of firmness in not resisting unjust demands. Such conduct [being soft on Maori] appears humane and generous, and kind; but really it is a weak yielding to intimidation and foolish concessions which lead to absurd demands. Such is always the consequences, especially when you are dealing with savage tribes”.
So from day 1, it has been our 'weak gullible governments' that has rolled over to unjust demands from a 'minority' at the expense of the 'majority'.
180 years later, they are still disrespecting the 97% and our new government allows it to happen with no consequences. All on our dime!!
Don't you think enough is enough?
If they did not make the prescribed oath ie changed the words, have they been properly sworn in ?
E J Wakefield in his notable account of early NZ observed that putting one across pakeha conveyed considerabl mana, even when caught out.
I am not sure if the ridiculous hair style was colonist, but Cook did not note any similar.
There needs to be a dress code for parliamnt and for such events.Personally the more absurd they behave, the better. It will ward more and more citizens off the rush to maorification and maori control..
Tuesday’s Maori protest should have been a ‘WAKE UP CALL’ for ‘all other’ New Zealanders.
The protests were about preserving all the gains that previous gulllible governments (both Labour & National) had unjustly bestowed on Maori, also about gaining racial solidarity, with the agenda for Maori Sovereignty of New Zealand.
The so-called Maori King is now planing to unite the various tribes for further action.
Will ‘easy going’ New Zealanders stand up and unite against this minority tide of tyranny? Or will they sleep walk their way to the Zimbabwe of the South Pacific?
Given the vile vitriol spoken just days ago by several of Te Putty Maori, any oath of allegiance by them yesterday cannot possibly be genuine and should be dismissed. An oath is not an oath if it isn't meant as such. They should not be permitted into parliament and they should not be paid salaries until they make a credible oath.
The question of a republic that would do away with a family on the other side of the world being our head of state is a separate matter that can and should be pursued through proper democratic means.
I trust someone provided a video of the swearing in to John Oliver. Along with a videao of any challege pantomine, should provide him with endless inspiration. NZ must fast be coming the laughing stock of the world. How can we expect to attract able professionsla when we go out of our way to indicate to the world tht we rank with hihlanders of New Guinea?
Post a Comment
Thanks for engaging in the debate!
Because this is a public forum, we will only publish comments that are respectful and do NOT contain links to other sites. We appreciate your cooperation.