pn724. Stoking the racism fires: Rawiri Waititi expelled from the House, wrong and right

Mallard and Waititi

Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi performed a haka and was expelled from the House today after tensions rose following questioning between the Prime Minister and Opposition leader. Speaker Trevor Mallard had little choice but to expel Waititi from the House for his comments were clearly in breach of parliamentary protocols.

 Waititi, however, claimed —and I think with considerable justification— that: 

 "Over the past two weeks there has been racist propaganda and rhetoric towards tangata whenua. That not only is insulting to tangata whenua, but insults the mana of this House." 

Maori Party co-leader Ngarewa-Packer and Greens MP Teanau Tuiono followed Waititi out of the House in solidarity.

There can be little doubt that Judith Collins is using racism to win Pakeha voters and hold on to her tenuous leadership of the National Party. She is playing a dangerous game. 

But if Waititi deserved a yellow card for his behaviour in the House today, Judith Collins deserves a red.    And her bevy of Hobson’s Choice writers outside the House  (Brash, Bassett, Hide, Adams, and co. See my postings pn 719, 721, 722) who are stoking the same racist fires deserve the same. It is not helpful that  the media gives them so much publicity.

-- ACW

See also https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/m-ori-party-co-leader-rawiri-waititi-performs-haka-in-parliament-ordered-leave