pn621. Not a good start. On the dispute between Parliament Speaker Trevor Mallard and the Maori Party co-leaders

The Speaker at the "Beehive"

In a highly unusual move, the Speaker has released correspondence between himself, the Clerk's office and Māori Party MPs over the row that blew up in Parliament.  The following article presents the issue as I see it. --- ACW

Parliamentary procedures prevented the Maori Party MPs from speaking in the Address in Reply debate on Thursday  because, with less than six MPs they could only participate if there was time before 5pm —after the other four parties had each 30 minutes to speak. Maori Party co-leader  Rawiri Waititi asked for 15 minutes, half of the time allocated to the other parties, adding: "These (other Pakeha-led party's) get 30 minutes speaking time, Māori get nothing." 

Waititi overstepped himself there. The other parties all have Maori leaders: Marama Davidson in Greens, Shane Reti in National, Kelvin Davis and umpteen Maori in Labour, and even David Seymour in ACT who, though you wouldn't know it from anything he's said,  is Nga Puhi on his mother's side. Co-leader Ngarewa-Packer, however, made the important point that the Maori Party .is "the only tangata whenua party in this place and our voice must be heard on the policies that affect us,"

Nonetheless, Maori as an ethnic group presumes biological and cultural affinities. It has nothing to do with how you vote. The Maori Party is not the only Maori voice in Parliament.

But Waititi did have a point. However many or few its MPs, it was effectively excluded from speaking. The procedure unintentionally discriminated against this Maori voice.  

Further, another legal technicality, both Maori Party co-leaders are new to Parliament. If they spoke in the Address in Reply debate, this would be taken as their maiden speeches which are not scheduled until next week. 

The Speaker, acting  correctly on legalities,  responded "after the fact." It was a pity someone did not anticipate the likely injustice and effect if the Maori Party were excluded.  Parliament has just started and already there's a sour taste in a number of mouths, both Maori and Pakeha.  

Kaore ano nga mihimihi kua timata. It wasn't the way to start.  Apologies to Rawiri for my Te Reo 

P.