Chris Trotter: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance

If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?

Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was the first woman elected to the House of Commons?”

Clive Boonham: Should the Te Pati Maori MPs be allowed to swear the oath of allegiance?

This article is a continuation of the article Swearing in of new MPs: The constitution versus the Treaty activists.
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On 1 December 2023 Te Pati Maori published an official press release on its Facebook page entitled An Oath to our Mokopuna.

It was published in the name of Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke and five others, namely Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi, Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp, Tākuta Ferris, and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. They are all newly elected MPs for Te Pati Maori.

Clive Boonham: Swearing in of new MPs - The constitution versus the Treaty activists

The opening of New Zealand’s 54th Parliament celebrates the start of the new three-year Parliamentary term. It is scheduled for Tuesday 5 December 2023 at 11 am.

As part of the procedure MPs will be obliged to swear the oath of allegiance to the reigning Sovereign of New Zealand, King Charles the Third.

It will be an intriguing confrontation between the Constitution of New Zealand, as set out in the Constitution Act 1986, and those MPs who believe that the Treaty is part of our constitution and mandates co-governance or partnership.