In a groundbreaking moment in New Zealand's political landscape, 21-year-old Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke delivered a captivating maiden speech that echoed the strength of her heritage and challenged the status quo. Maipi-Clarke, the youngest lawmaker in 170 years, stunned the parliament as she performed a haka to honour her tribe during the occasion.
Proud party members looked on, laughed and some cheered as she performed the haka before moving on to her speech.
In a sharp critique of the new government's te reo Māori stance, she played on words during her maiden speech, referencing the renaming of the national transport provider. Her words met with raucous laughter.
Watch the video, with millions of views, here:
"At 21 years old, I can definitely say this was not the plan. I was perfectly fine growing my kūmara and learning maramataka, but this House kept tampering with things they shouldn't be touching, and that's why I left the māra to come here," Maipi-Clarke declared.
The young lawmaker didn't hold back in expressing her personal connection to the policies discussed in parliament. Within a mere 14 days, she felt the impact of the government's decisions on various crucial aspects, from health and natural resources to Māori wards and language rights.
Beyond her legislative duties, she manages a community garden, maintains an active presence on Instagram and TikTok, and authored a book on utilizing the Māori calendar for both physical and mental well-being. Despite her lack of legislative experience, she has family ties tracing back to Māori political pioneers.
Standing for election in the Hauraki-Waikato electorate, already represented by Māori political veteran Nanaia Mahuta, Maipi-Clarke faced skepticism. Mahuta, often referred to as New Zealand's Mother of Parliament, also served as the country's first female Māori foreign minister in the recent Labor Party cabinet.
As New Zealand experiences a significant political shift, marked by the promise of the most conservative government in decades, the attendance of most-ever Māori members in the opposition signals a distinct change.
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