• Three Maori MPs face suspension after performing a protest haka in Parliament.
• The recommended suspensions have been deemed the harshest penalties in New Zealand’s parliamentary history.
• The protest was sparked by a controversial Treaty Principles Bill aimed at changing the interpretation of New Zealand’s founding document.
• Responses to the protest highlight a nationwide debate over the limits of cultural expression in formal government settings.
• The MPs' suspensions are expected to be formally confirmed in an upcoming Parliament vote.

New Zealand's parliamentary privileges committee has recommended suspending three Māori MPs from the Te Pati Maori party for performing a protest haka during a parliamentary session. Co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi may face a 21-day suspension, while the youngest MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke could be suspended for seven days for her actions, which included ripping a copy of the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, according to Channel News Asia and BBC.

The proposed suspensions stem from claims that the MPs' performance disrupted parliamentary proceedings and could have intimidated other lawmakers. Judith Collins, the committee chair, emphasized that this protest was "the worst incident" she had seen in her two decades in Parliament, stating that it was essential to uphold order within the legislative process, according to Al Jazeera and India Times.

The Hakā has cultural significance, serving not just as a performance but as a means of expressing Māori identity and resistance. During the protest against the Treaty Principles Bill, which sought to reinterpret New Zealand’s foundational Treaty of Waitangi signed in 1840, thousands of demonstrations erupted nationwide, reflecting widespread opposition to the bill, according to India Times and India Times.

The Māori Party has criticized the committee's recommendations as excessively punitive, labeling them as the "worst punishment handed down ever in our history." They argue that the suspensions convey a “chilling message” about the limits of Indigenous expression in political discourse in New Zealand, according to Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera.

The debate surrounding these suspensions is emblematic of broader tensions in New Zealand regarding the recognition of Māori rights and representation in government. As the nation approaches a firm vote on the suspensions, discussions intensify about the appropriateness of cultural performances in formal legislative contexts and the implications for Indigenous representation, according to BBC and India Times.