Once again, Te Pāti Māori have shown that the rules of Parliament don’t apply to them. The latest stunt, an unsanctioned haka in the House, is another reminder that this is a party built entirely on theatrics, entitlement, and a deep belief that they are above the system that pays their salaries.
The Speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee, was forced to suspend Parliament after Oriini Kaipara’s maiden speech turned into a full-blown performance. What was supposed to be a respectful conclusion became a chaotic, unauthorised haka from the public gallery, joined by Kaipara herself and fellow MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. The Speaker ordered them to stop, and they ignored him.
In any other workplace, this would be called a breach of protocol, deliberate disruption, and total disregard for basic professionalism. Because it is Te Pāti Māori, we are expected to pretend it is something sacred. Whāk that!
Parliament has its own rules, its own process, and everyone else, from National to Labour to ACT, follows it. Te Pāti Māori treat the rules like a suggestion, using Parliament as a stage for self-indulgent displays that achieve nothing tangible for their voters. It is performance politics at its most hollow.
Kaipara’s speech itself went well over time, ignoring the bells that signalled her to wrap it up. That small detail says everything. The rules apply to everyone else, just not to them. And when the Speaker tried to restore order, they carried on anyway, dragging the rest of Parliament into their drama.
This is a party that has mastered one thing - the art of grievance. They talk endlessly about disconnection and revitalisation but deliver nothing. While they grandstand about decolonisation, they are perfectly comfortable collecting taxpayer salaries and benefits from the very system they claim to despise. Their biggest achievement so far? Turning every sitting of the House into a political theatre piece.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the party is in chaos. Internal disputes, allegations of dictatorial leadership, demotions, and dysfunction, it is all there. They cannot even manage their own organisation, yet somehow want to dictate how the rest of the country should operate.
As much I despise him, Chris Hipkins said it best, Te Pāti Māori are not ready to govern. Shit, they are not even ready to behave like MPs. They have become a taxpayer-funded circus act, loud, chaotic, and utterly self-serving. While ordinary New Zealanders struggle with the cost of living, these self-anointed revolutionaries are busy breaking rules, filming their theatrics, and congratulating themselves for it.
It is time to call it what it is. Te Pāti Māori are not fighting for Māori advancement, they are fighting for attention. They have achieved nothing of substance in Parliament except controversy. They do not respect the rules, the Speaker, or even the dignity of the institution they sit in.
And for all their talk about mana and tikanga, there is nothing honourable about wasting the time of every other MP and taxpayer in this country.
Parliament is not a marae. It is not a stage. It is the nation’s legislature, and if Te Pāti Māori cannot show basic respect for that, they do not deserve to be there.
Whāk that indeed. On so many levels.
I agree wholeheartedly. But what I don't understand is who is voting for these clowns? Is it people who see this kind of behaviour and think it's perfectly acceptable? Or people who aren't even aware of it? Either way, it's worrying that they even have any support...