Live politics blog Dec 4
Te Pāti Māori runs alternative oaths, three MPs appear to insult King during official pledge
Te Pāti Māori ran its own swearing in ceremony in Parliament, and three MPs appeared to insult King Charles during the official ceremony as well.
When Te Pāti Māori MPs were called to pledge allegiance to the King, they each stood to first pledge allegiance to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, mokopuna and tikanga Māori, before they approached the Clerk of the House to make the legally-required affirmation.
The alternative ceremony happened in the House, while all 123 MPs were sworn in. The Māori Party alternative process even involved signing a document, on the desk of co-leader Rawiri Waititi.
But Stuff noticed that three Te Pāti Māori MPs, co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Waititi and Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris, did not stick to the script.
Instead of pledging allegiance to 'King Charles III', or in te reo 'Kīngi Tiāre te Tuatoru', the two MPs referred to Kīngi Harehare te Tuatoru.
In te reo Māori, harehare can be an insult which refers to a rash. In this phrase, it could be translated as an insult, meaning the rash king, or the objectionable King.
The oaths from Waititi, Ngarewa-Packer and Ferris read:
When Te Pāti Māori MPs were called to pledge allegiance to the King, they each stood to first pledge allegiance to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, mokopuna and tikanga Māori, before they approached the Clerk of the House to make the legally-required affirmation.
The alternative ceremony happened in the House, while all 123 MPs were sworn in. The Māori Party alternative process even involved signing a document, on the desk of co-leader Rawiri Waititi.
But Stuff noticed that three Te Pāti Māori MPs, co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Waititi and Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris, did not stick to the script.
Instead of pledging allegiance to 'King Charles III', or in te reo 'Kīngi Tiāre te Tuatoru', the two MPs referred to Kīngi Harehare te Tuatoru.
In te reo Māori, harehare can be an insult which refers to a rash. In this phrase, it could be translated as an insult, meaning the rash king, or the objectionable King.
The oaths from Waititi, Ngarewa-Packer and Ferris read:
E kī ana i runga i te pono, i te tika, i te ngākau tapatahi me te whakaū anō ka noho pirihonga, ka noho pūmau ki Kīngi harehare te tuatoru, me ōna kāhui whakaheke e ai ke te ture.
They were meant to say:
E kī ana i runga i te pono, i te tika, i te ngākau tapatahi me te whakaū anō ka noho pirihonga, ka noho pūmau ki a Kīngi Tiāre te Tuatoru me tōna kāhui whakaheke e ai ke te ture.
It did not appear that Clerk of the House David Wilson picked up on the amended oaths. It's also unclear if the oaths from Ferris and Waititi will be accepted or if they will be asked to redo the process.
Waititi and Ferris insisted they had not insulted the King.
Ferris told Stuff that "Hare" was "East Coast for Charles". "Emphatic for Charles," he said.
But Ferris is from Te Waipounamu, which also happens to be where I'm from. And in Te Tau Ihu, Hare has a very different meaning... it means scab.
Waititi and Ferris insisted they had not insulted the King.
Ferris told Stuff that "Hare" was "East Coast for Charles". "Emphatic for Charles," he said.
But Ferris is from Te Waipounamu, which also happens to be where I'm from. And in Te Tau Ihu, Hare has a very different meaning... it means scab.