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Maori politicians mockingly pledged their allegiance to King Charles by calling him “King Skin Rash” during the opening of New Zealand’s parliament on Tuesday.
Three lawmakers from the Te Pāti Māori party, the smallest party in parliament representing Māori people, called him ‘Kīngi harehare’, rather than using the Māori name for him, which is ‘Kīngi Tiāre’.
“Harehare” is a derogatory term in Maori meaning “skin rash” or “sore”. It can also connote something “objectionable” and “offensive”, according to the Māori dictionary.
All New Zealand MPs must swear allegiance to King Charles, as he is officially the Commonwealth nation’s head of state.
But the Te Pāti Māori party opposes the oath, claiming it is a symbol of colonial power for New Zealand’s parliament to rank it higher than the position of indigenous people. The party also supports the removal of King Charles as New Zealand head of state.
Three lawmakers from the Te Pāti Māori party derisively called him ‘Kīngi harehare’, rather than using the Māori name for him, ‘Kīngi Tiāre’. Pictured is Te Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waiti in the New Zealand parliament on Tuesday.
‘Harehare’ is a derogatory term in Maori meaning ‘skin rash’ or ‘sore’, as well as ‘objectionable’ and ‘offensive’, according to the Maori Dictionary.
The Te Pāti Māori party opposes this, claiming that the oath is a symbol of the colonial power that Parliament places above the position of indigenous people.
All New Zealand MPs must swear allegiance to King Charles, as he is officially the nation’s head of state.
Te Pāti Māori politicians also broke protocol by swearing allegiance first to their descendants and to the country’s founding document.
Each of them committed their mokopuna, or descendants, to tikanga, or Māori practices, and to the Māori version of the Treaty of Waitangi.
The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840, established a set of principles under which the British and Maori agreed to govern New Zealand, but the English and Maori versions differ and there is debate over whether the Maori ceded sovereignty.
Party critics said Te Pāti Māori mocked the king, who plans to visit the country next year.
“They’re trying to make fun of the transliteration ‘hare’, which if you say ‘harehare’ is sort of a transliteration of Charlie, but it also means something objectionable,” said New Zealand First MP Shane Jones.
David Seymour, leader of the libertarian ACT New Zealand party, dismissed the demonstrations as “divisive theatre.”
Te Pāti Māori politicians also broke protocol by swearing allegiance first to their descendants and to the country’s founding document.
Party critics said Te Pāti Māori mocked the king, who plans to visit the country next year.
“New Zealanders elected a government that will treat people equally, regardless of their race,” he said.
There has been debate for some time about whether the Pacific nation should become a republic, with a citizen as head of state.
In some indigenous communities this feeling is stronger, both in New Zealand and elsewhere, since the king is a symbol of colonialization.
In 2022, Indigenous Australian MP Lidia Thorpe had to retake the parliamentary oath after changing it to label Britain’s queen a colonizer.
Several New Zealand politicians previously tried to avoid the oath, but relented and agreed to participate in government.