Bryce Edwards: political commentator on the debate unfolding over the Te Pāti Māori haka saga

Parliament's revisiting potential penalties for three Te Pāti Māori MPs - after the hearing was initially postponed so as not to distract from the 2025 Budget.

Proposed suspensions for the three MPs in question are being debated in the House, in relation to their actions during last year's Treaty Principles Bill vote. 

Political commentator Bryce Edwards has observed there's been plenty of fire from the major political parties - except for Labour.

"They're trying to take a sort of middle way and it's hard work for Labour to sort of navigate when the public - or at least Labour's voters - are in favour of some tough measures against the Te Pāti Māori MPs."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, good afternoon. Parliament is now more than two hours
into the debate on the punishment of the Maori Party,
although it seems to have lost a lot of its
steam with most of the major players not in the
house today. Bryce Edwards is a political commentator with US Now.
Hey Bryce, Hi, Heather, Yeah, do you think it's lost
a bit of the fizz?

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Well, it has because the main players don't want it
to be too fuzzy. National and Labor do want to
sort of get beyond this debate. The minor parties are
loving it so on the left to party Marie and
Greens are pretty fired up on the rights and using
the First An Act, pretty fired up. But Labor is
very uncomfortable. They've been part of the debate, but they're

(00:38):
trying to tone things down. They're trying to take a
sort of middle way and it's hard work for Labor
to sort of navigate when I think the public kind
of or at least some of the Labour's voters are
in favor of some tough measures against the party. Murray MPs.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Is anybody filibustering?

Speaker 2 (01:00):
I don't know. I've seen some really quality speeches from
all sides in this and there's nothing wrong with that.
There's been some emotional and sort of quite tough stuff
as well, but no, no, I think it's been excellent
debate and you know, this is a really important issue,
so I think it is apt that there is enough
time to actually debate it.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Do you think they're going to wrap it up by sex?

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Oh? If Labor National get their ways, I think it will.
But it's in the interests of those other minor parties
to keep it going. I mean to party Mary would
love to have this debate going for weeks.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah, I'm sure they would. Hey do you do you
think it is dawning on Labor just how toxic the
Malori Party are to them?

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Oh? They would have always known how difficult it's going
to be, but this has really brought it to you know,
the sort of cutting edge of it, isn't it because
you know they're suddenly thinking are we going to be
with this sort of debate all through the election campaign?
And you know how much this is going to rub

(02:06):
off on us. I mean in the House today, Party
Murray MP's are talking about suspending the treaty for twenty
one days if they're out of Parliament. I mean, what
does that mean and to what extent does labor have
to start answering questions on how much they agree with
these sort of policies is a bit of a nightmare
for people like Chris Hipkins.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
Bryce, thank you, I really appreciate your time.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Mate.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
That's Bryce Edwards, political commentator. For more from Heather Duplessy
Allen Drive, listen live to news Talks. It'd be from
four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.