* Rawiri Waititi 21 days suspension
* Debbie Ngarewa-Packer 21 days suspension
* Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke 7 days suspension
* Peeni Henare apology (previously decided)
These are all sensible recommendations, fitting the circumstances for each MP.
Click to view
If that doesn’t get a lengthy suspension, nothing will.
So again if they had waited until after the vote was done, and had done the haha from their seats, I doubt there would have been any consequences at all. This is not about the haka. This is about stopping Parliament from being able to vote, and intimidating other MPs.
Julie-Anne Genter was found in contempt merely for crossing the floor and waving a report at a Minister. She didn’t get suspended because she apologised, and she didn’t seek to intimidate.
It is worth noting that Ngarewa-Packer and Waititi have refused to apologise or concede they did anything wrong. If they were not suspended, then they would do it again and again.
It could actually be worse for them. The Speaker could have named them at the time of then disrupting the vote, which would see them suspended under SO 94 and if they had refused to leave the chamber, then under SO 95 they would be suspended for the entire calendar year!
Sad to see that opposition MPs of the Privileges Committee did not see what happened as that serious. Labour MPs said there should only be a 1 or 2 day suspension, and the Green Party blames the victims (ACT MPs) for being intimidated by gun emulation aimed at them saying this just shows their cultural ignorance! The Greens amazingly go further and say the rules of Parliament should be changed retrospectively to allow the TPM MPs to do what they did, and then judge them against the new rules!!!!
I’m pleased that the majority have handed down more than a slap with a wet bus ticket. Anything less would not have acted as deterrence, but encouragement.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.
* Debbie Ngarewa-Packer 21 days suspension
* Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke 7 days suspension
* Peeni Henare apology (previously decided)
These are all sensible recommendations, fitting the circumstances for each MP.
The most important thing to understand is this is not punishing MPs for doing a haka. Hakas are often done in the House. I have been there for them. So are waiatas. The reason for the suspensions are two critical factors.
The first is that they disrupted the House (which had to adjourn for 30 minutes) while the vote was underway. This is very serious stuff. Preventing MPs from voting on a bill is a contempt. In fact this is what many of the January 6 protesters were charged over in the US – preventing Congress from voting to certify the election. If they had done the haha *after* the Speaker had announced the result of the vote, it would be far less serious.
The second is that they left their seats, and crossed the floor to face ACT MPs, in what was clearly intimidatory behaviour. To quote the report:
The first is that they disrupted the House (which had to adjourn for 30 minutes) while the vote was underway. This is very serious stuff. Preventing MPs from voting on a bill is a contempt. In fact this is what many of the January 6 protesters were charged over in the US – preventing Congress from voting to certify the election. If they had done the haha *after* the Speaker had announced the result of the vote, it would be far less serious.
The second is that they left their seats, and crossed the floor to face ACT MPs, in what was clearly intimidatory behaviour. To quote the report:
Click to view
If that doesn’t get a lengthy suspension, nothing will.
So again if they had waited until after the vote was done, and had done the haha from their seats, I doubt there would have been any consequences at all. This is not about the haka. This is about stopping Parliament from being able to vote, and intimidating other MPs.
Julie-Anne Genter was found in contempt merely for crossing the floor and waving a report at a Minister. She didn’t get suspended because she apologised, and she didn’t seek to intimidate.
It is worth noting that Ngarewa-Packer and Waititi have refused to apologise or concede they did anything wrong. If they were not suspended, then they would do it again and again.
It could actually be worse for them. The Speaker could have named them at the time of then disrupting the vote, which would see them suspended under SO 94 and if they had refused to leave the chamber, then under SO 95 they would be suspended for the entire calendar year!
Sad to see that opposition MPs of the Privileges Committee did not see what happened as that serious. Labour MPs said there should only be a 1 or 2 day suspension, and the Green Party blames the victims (ACT MPs) for being intimidated by gun emulation aimed at them saying this just shows their cultural ignorance! The Greens amazingly go further and say the rules of Parliament should be changed retrospectively to allow the TPM MPs to do what they did, and then judge them against the new rules!!!!
I’m pleased that the majority have handed down more than a slap with a wet bus ticket. Anything less would not have acted as deterrence, but encouragement.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.
5 comments:
Disagree, these racists are deserving of much more of a penalty. They are not worthy. They are pretty much nobodies who are there because of their skin colour. It's that simple.
UNDRIP DEI puppets
Unpleasant bullies - now playing the poor victims with tears in their eyes. From the Harry and Meghan playbook. The only 2 roles where they show any competence.
This should give a great impetus to removing the Maori seats. One may only wish!
This illustrates two common views of some Maori: the rules don't apply to me and you are picking on me because I am Maori. Their arrogant behaviour weakens the centuries old protocol of Parliament and deserves harsher penalties. Otherwise it may lead to further and more serious rule breaking.
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