The hīkoi was the crowning glory of the Māori party: Barry Soper

It was planned there for a long time haka last week in the Parliament’s debate roomfor which they are hit on the wrist with a wet bus ticket, but the hīkoi was their crowning achievement.

This was all about politics, grievances aside, and they got what they wanted: publicity. The march could easily have turned ugly legally with proper representation of bikers Thursday they will show their patches for the last time before they are made illegal.

But the demonstrators behaved well and respectfully stepped aside to allow the undersigned to enter the Bijenkorf.

That of Parliament Speaker Gerry Brownlee wisely prevented the public from watching the proceedings from the galleries overlooking the debate hall, preventing a repeat of last week’s raucous outburst. This allowed the company to continue unhindered.

The Greens were futile and tried to embarrass the Prime Minister for not addressing the crowd outside. As his deputy Winston Peters rightly said, he was not invited.

The man responsible for the bill and who saw people marching across the country, David Seymourmay not get its referendum on the Treaty, but now it will was given six months of public hearings on it for the judicial committee.

That will keep the Act Party in the spotlight as the eloquent Seymour pontificates about equality for all, while appealing to wavering centre-right voters.

Ironically, the hīkoi and the months that follow will benefit the two diehard political enemies.

The Greens will also only benefit because they are green and support every anti-establishment cause, while New Zealand First will not suffer because it is just Winston Peters.

National and Labor will be licking their wounds. But they will heal in time for the next election, and that is the feeling of those within the parties, even as they acknowledge they have taken a blow.

However, it will be more difficult for Labor as its leaders will join the protesters and as a result publicly align themselves with the Māori Party.

And if you’re wondering how stupid they can be, just listen to their latest antics in Parliament – ​​they’ve filed a complaint against the beleaguered Speaker Brownlee, who claimed he had overused his powersfurther they went, they said, than for any other protest.

Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngawera-Packer must have been sleeping in Parliament listening to Barry Manilow when Speaker Trevor Mallard his soft tone sounded to the deaf Covid demonstrators.

She also complained that the party was unable to provide whānau water. Well, the Speaker could have done a Mallard and turned on the sprinkler system.

And she also complains that Brownlee is denying protesters access to Parliament’s Wi-Fi. She shouldn’t know about the ability of smartphones to use their own data.

That is the coalition partner that Labor will probably need. You don’t have to think about it!

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