A temporary truce was called over Parliament's tie stoush, with MPs from across the House meeting tonight to discuss Parliament's dress code.
It came after Speaker Trevor Mallard's ruling against Māori Party's co-leader Rawiri Waititi yesterday, after he refused to wear a tie - instead donning a heitiki.
Rawiri Waititi says he should be able to wear a pounamu instead. (Source: Other)
Waititi attempted to speak after telling Mallard what he was wearing "is Māori business attire and a Māori tie", but was ordered to leave by Mallard for continuing to try to talk in the House. On the way out, Waititi said, "it’s not about ties it’s about cultural identity".
"Today seems like a different day to yesterday," Waititi told media after being allowed to speak in Parliament.
The Māori Party had one opportunity today to ask an extra question in Parliament. After requesting to speak, Speaker Trevor Mallard quietly called on Waititi, a move he said yesterday would not happen unless Waititi wore a tie.
Standing with his heitiki round his neck, Waititi asked Local Government Minister Nanania Mahuta a question around why proposed laws did not require all councils to create Māori wards or mana whenua seat by 2022.
"There seems like there's some kind of acceptable by the Speaker," Waititi said. "It seems like we've got a progressive Parliament that looks at cultural freedoms to allow them their cultural identity to be expressed."
Mallard said he had a discussion with Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
"We agreed on a truce for a day until the Standing Orders committee meets. I did have an undertaking he wouldn't be speaking but we're going to deal with these matters at 7.15 tonight.
"It's a matter I've sought advice on from the Standing Orders Committee. I'm likely to get more balanced advice from that than I did earlier."
Mallard said he did not want to pre-judge the advice. Mallard himself is not a supporter of the rule around ties.
Waititi said the rules needed "to be relaxed and be inclusive of culture, especially tangata whenua, who have been long-time assimilated and subjugated into a culture that doesn't belong to us".
"It's time for us to stand up and not accept that."
The issue saw Labour MPs Peeni Henare and Tāmati Coffey, who lost the seat of Waiariki to Waititi, comment on the stance.
"Representing the people of Waiariki as their MP is a privilege. Your job is not about you. You are not there to fight with the speaker about ties. That kind of politics serves no one but yourself," Coffey wrote on Facebook.
On Instagram, Henare posted a video of himself tying a tie.
"I don't mind wearing ties, so happy for you to have your views while I hold mine," he wrote.
The issue of wearing ties in Parliament began last year, after Speaker Trevor Mallard considered scrapping the rule that men must wear ties in the House. It was dropped earlier this month and ties remained in the rulebook.
In December, Waititi was told he would not be allowed to speak in Parliament again until he wore a tie, something he referred to as a "colonial noose".
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