New Zealand Māori MP Rawiri Waititi delivers haka in parliament before swearing oath of allegiance to Queen
Luke O'Reilly
Mr Waititi performed the haka before swearing the standard oaths
(1news)
A Māori Party politician delivered a haka in New Zealand's parliament before swearing an oath to the Queen.
The party's co-leader Rawiri Waititi performed the ceremonial dance as part of a call to include the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand MP's pledge of allegiance.
Mr Waititi has been campaigning for MPs to be able to swear allegiance to the Treaty of Waitangi, known as Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Māori, as well as to the Queen.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi was a treaty signed on February 6 1840 between the Māori people and representatives of the British Crown, giving the Māori rights as British subjects, as well as recognising their ownership over their lands.
Mr Waititi used the haka to swear allegiance to Te Tiriti o Waitangi before swearing the standard oaths.
"That is to ensure Tiriti o Waitangi is at the forefront of everything we do and the way we will conduct our business in this House", Mr Waititi told local TV station 1news.
He said that he was not against the Queen, and if the oath included the treaty then "we would have no problem".
He added: "But it's very unfair at this particular time to be swearing an oath to one partner of that Tiriti."
"We're going to do things different, we've started to do things different and we will continue to do things different."
He said that he wanted the oath to recognise the consent and equality that New Zealand was founded on.