New Zealand’s parliament stepped back on Wednesday after expelling a Maori MP for refusing to wear a tie, allowing him to speak without an accessory, he labeled a “colonial noose”. The issue erupted on Tuesday, when Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi was expelled from the parliamentary debate chamber for not wearing the necessary attire during questioning.
Waititi, who has a full-face “te moko” tattoo and a black cowboy hat, claimed to be wearing legitimate Maori business attire – a traditional pendant.
“It’s not about connections, it’s about cultural identity,” he said as he left.
TVNZ / File through REUTERS
Indigenous Maori make up about 15% of New Zealand’s five million inhabitants, but are over-represented in statistics such as poverty and imprisonment, with many culpable injustices dating back to the days of British colonial rule.
Waititi said the equalizer showed that race relations still need to be improved in the South Pacific nation.
“This is a violation of the rights of indigenous peoples, we must (must) have the freedom to express our cultural identity in a space like this,” he said.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern He said he had no objections to parliamentarians not wearing ties, but added that “we are much more important issues for all of us.”
Following strict enforcement of the dress code on Tuesday, parliamentary speaker Trevor Mallard took a more relaxed approach when a tie-free Waititi spoke on Wednesday.
Instead of taking out the Maori leader, Mallard simply let him ask a straightforward question, later saying that a permanent change of rule is being considered.
Waititi was first elected to parliament last year and in his initial speech told the story of an ancestor who was wrongly hanged by the British for murder.
“I will adorn myself with the treasures of my ancestors and remove the colonial noose from my neck so that I can sing my song,” he said as he took off his tie.