This morning, New Zealand’s parliament experienced a temporary suspension as Maori members performed a haka to disrupt the voting process on a controversial bill intended to reinterpret a 184-year-old treaty between the British and Indigenous Maori.
Last week, the ACT New Zealand party, which is a junior partner in the country’s centre-right coalition government, introduced the bill that seeks to clarify the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
The Treaty, initially signed in 1840 by the British crown and over 500 Maori chiefs, established the framework for governance between the two parties. The interpretation of its clauses continues to influence legislation and policy today.
This morning, the proposed bill successfully passed its first reading and will now proceed to a select committee.
However, the contentious legislation is viewed by many Maori and their supporters as a threat to the rights of New Zealand’s Indigenous population, which constitutes approximately 20% of the country’s 5.3 million residents.
