Politician ejected from NZ parliament after performing protest haka

The co-leader of New Zealand’s Maori Party Rawiri Waititi was thrown out of Parliament after performing a haka in protest against what he said were racist arguments by conservatives.

The altercation comes after weeks of escalating debate, in which the opposition National Party has accused the government of a 'separatist agenda' over plans to set up a new Maori Health Authority as part of sweeping changes to the country's health care system.

Waititi told lawmakers those arguments amounted to racist rhetoric.
'This has incited racism with venom towards Maori, because of this type of propaganda and rhetoric – we won’t stand for it anymore,' Waititi said, speaking to reporters outside Parliament after being booted out.

'The opposition leader has been constantly bashing Maori to gain the votes of her Pakeha [non-Māori New Zealander] constituents. That’s all it is.'
Waititi told lawmakers in the chamber that he was forced to listen to a 'constant barrage of insults' directed toward Indigenous people.

'If that kind of attitude was acceptable, he said, then I find this House in disrepute.'

Speaker Trevor Mallard then told Waititi to sit down but instead, he performed the haka, prompting Mallard to kick him out of the house.

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