Year-long Parliament ban slapped on singing Ihumātao protestors, three Youth MPs

The singing began during the second reading of the school donations bill.

A group of Ihumātao protestors, including Youth MPs, have been banned for a year from Parliament for singing Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi in the debating chamber.  

The singing began during the second reading of the school donations bill, which would scrap the need for donations for students from decile 1-7 schools from 2020.

"Order! Order! Order! Order! I'm warning the people in the gallery to stop now," Speaker Trevor Mallard said. 

The group of about a dozen singing continued from the public gallery seating area.  

"All individuals in the gallery will face a one-year ban from the buildings."

Protestor Kelsey Lee said the group were there to show support for the hikoi to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Auckland office , calling for Ms Ardern to visit the occupied land in South Auckland. The land is considered sacred to Māori and protestors are trying to stop a planned Fletchers housing development.

"We wanted to remind all the MPs what is going on today. I think it's very easy to forget what's going on when you're sitting there all day."

Jack Liang said the group wanted MPs to "hear and see what's happening".

"We were just there in peace, to tautoko (support) Ihumātao. This is just solidarity, saying, 'we're here, we see you'."

The Youth MPs of Green Party's Jan Logie, Chlöe Swarbrick and Golriz Ghahraman were part of the group, telling media it was "worth it" and that they were there on their own accord. 

Ms Swarbrick said there was a "boiling over of frustration on issues of indigenous sovereignty, climate action, inequality and the raft of other issues younger generations carry the disproportionate burden of". 

"We need to facilitate meaningful engagement with youth in the political system. Without that, in tandem with the irony that we call them apathetic, we’re a far cry from improving our democracy."

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