New Zealand's parliament suspended three MPs from the Te Pati Maori for performing a haka to protest a controversial bill regarding the Treaty of Waitangi. Co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer received 21-day suspensions, while the youngest MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke was suspended for seven days due to her letter of contrition. This unprecedented action raised concerns about the silencing of Maori voices in parliament. The MPs' protest, which included Maipi-Clarke ripping the legislation, interrupted a critical vote and highlighted widespread opposition to measures perceived as undermining Maori rights.
Prior to Thursday's vote, Maipi-Clarke told legislators that the suspension was an effort to stop Maori from making themselves heard in parliament.
The MPs from Te Pati Maori were handed the toughest sanctions ever imposed on legislators by New Zealand's parliament on Thursday.
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