Rawiri Waititi - EJECTED FROM PARLIAMEN FOR NOT WEARING A TIE!!

  EJECTED FROM PARLIAMEN FOR NOT WEARING A TIE

“To be or not to be, that is the question,” is the opening phrase of a soliloquy by the Prince in Act 3 Scene 1 of William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet.

The phrase flashed into my mind as I read a news item on the BBC Asia website.

“To wear or not to wear,” I said to myself as I read an article about a Maori MP in the New Zealand Parliament. Yes, New Zealand is in the news again.

Rawiri Waititi, a leader of the Maori Party was ejected from the Parliament,” for not wearing a tie.” What was the reason? The Speaker of the House explained to him that “male MPs can only ask questions in the debating chamber if they are wearing a tie.”

Waititi was stopped twice but continued with his question until he was ordered to leave the chamber.

Why the drama? What was it all about? Waititi has called ties “a colonial noose.” He said he was wearing Maori business attire that included a greenstone pendant. The Speaker’s treatment, he felt, was unconscionable. 

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leader of the Maori party wore a tie at the meeting. Although she “pleaded her colleagues case,” it did not change the situation, the BBC report said.

Last year Mr. Waititi was told that he would be ejected from Parliament if he did not wear a tie. In his first speech to Parliament Mr. Waititi said,” Take the noose from around my neck so that I may sing my song.” (Reminds me of the Ray Charles 1963 hit song: “Take these chains from my heart and set me free.”)

The “overwhelming majority” of MPs are in favor of maintaining the tie requirement, the article said although Mr. Mallard supports a change to the rules on compulsory ties.

What does Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern think about the situation? 

She does not object to people refusing to wear ties the article said.  “I don’t think New Zealanders care about ties,” she said.

She feels there are bigger issues to be focusing on.

Indeed. 

There are other issues that deeply concern the Maori people, Tina Ngata whose work involves advocacy for environmental, indigenous, and human rights says in a podcast. 

She says the Maori are “still suffering under the legacy of colonialism,” there is too much suicide, infant mortality, poor housing, unfair incarceration. 

So how important is the tie, really?