Overview

• The vote on suspending three Te Pāti Māori MPs for performing a haka in Parliament has been deferred until after the federal budget, with debate set to resume on June 5.
• The Parliamentary Privileges Committee recommended suspensions of 21 days for Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, and seven days for Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, marking the harshest penalties since 1987.
• The haka, performed last November in protest of a proposed reinterpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi, disrupted parliamentary proceedings and polarized lawmakers over its cultural and procedural implications.
• Opposition parties, including Labour, have called for a lesser censure instead of lengthy suspensions, arguing the proposed penalties are disproportionate and unprecedented.
• Protesters gathered outside Parliament in Wellington, performing haka to support the Māori lawmakers, while the delayed vote raises concerns about further legislative gridlock.