‘The ground is shaking’ Haka briefly suspended the New Zealand Parliament after Maori politicians opposed a controversial bill.

The libertarian ACT Party, the junior partner in New Zealand’s National Party-led coalition, has introduced a bill that would radically change the way the Treaty of Waitangi is interpreted.

The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand’s founding document; It is an agreement signed between the British Crown and approximately 540 Maori chiefs on 6 February 1840.

It still defines the relationship between Maori and the ruling authorities.

But ACT claims it gives indigenous Kiwis greater legal and political rights and that their bill would end what they describe as ‘racial division’.

The bill sparked waves of protests and warnings from academics and lawyers that it would negatively impact Maori rights.

These protests spread to parliament on Thursday after the bill was introduced two weeks ahead of schedule.

Te Pati Maori Party’s Hauraki Waikato MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke turned haka as every party was called to cast their vote for the Treaty Principles Bill on Thursday afternoon.

Te Pati Maori Party’s Hauraki Waikato MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke turned haka (pictured) as every party was called to vote on the Treaty Principles Bill on Thursday afternoon

Furious parliamentary speaker Gerry Brownlee tried to stop the performance.

But while Labor and Green MPs publicly supported the protest, the entire public gallery and Te Pāti Māori MPs proceeded with the haka.

Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi performed the haka directly in front of their ACT Party seat, looking directly at their leader David Seymour, a strong supporter of the bill.

The Speaker then suspended parliament and later described the haka as ‘highly disorderly’ and described it as ‘appallingly disrespectful behavior within the House’.

Furious parliamentary speaker Gerry Brownlee tried to stop the demonstration

Treaty Principles Bill passes first reading With the support of National, NZ First and ACT parties.

It will return to Parliament for a new vote next year.

Some 8,000 demonstrators are currently marching against the bill on New Zealand’s North Island.

Haka is a ceremonial war dance in Maori culture that involves chants and powerful body movements.

There are many different types of haka that can be performed for different situations.

For example, the New Zealand rugby team All Blacks performs a haka before every test match.