An abridged session of Parliament on Tuesday paid tribute to late Queen Elizabeth and hailed the new era for Britain and New Zealand in the accession of King Charles III.
But discordant notes marked the solemn proceeding.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Opposition Leader Christopher Luxon united in eulogising the Queen and the legacy of the British monarchy for Aotearoa, carefully sidestepping any reference to the troubled history between the Crown and the indigenous Maori.
Ardern fondly reminisced about the ten visits made to NZ by the Queen during her 70-year reign, while Luxon nostalgically recalled standing by the wayside as a child as the royal entourage rolled by.
Ardern said: “She [the Queen] was warm and easy to chat with- and I was struck by her interest in, and impressive knowledge and recall of NZ – helped by the 10 visits she made to our country.”
Ardern added: “Her reign corresponded with the period of most rapid change in human history. From the fall of empire, war, major societal shifts and upheavals through to the advent of television and social media, she became a touchstone. A constant. An anchor in a sea of change.”
National’s Luxon said one of his earliest memories was of his “mother and brother waving plastic flags as the Queen drove [past] to open the Commonwealth Games.
“Upon reflection, we can all see it was a life incredibly well lived. The Queen lived her life with a real mission and purpose. She showed great determination, tremendous care and compassion to the people,” Luxon added.
But Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said Queen Elizabeth’s legacy was a mixed one, saying: “We cannot ignore the oppression of Maori as very real and continuing.”
She said the Queen was a “smart leader” who herself saw the “colonial impacts” wrought by the British monarchy in the lives of people around the world.
Davidson quoted the Queen as saying the Treaty of Waitangi was “imperfectly observed.”
While acknowledging the sense of loss at the passing of the Queen and that “Charles is not simply just a King but is also a grieving son,” she said this moment called for a “full reflection” of the institution of the monarchy that Queen Elizabeth upheld.
Davidson closed her address by saying: “The work to decolonise and indigenise this land continues.”
This sentiment was echoed by Ti Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, who spoke of the “righteous anger of the indigenous people around the world.
“In all religions there is a saying that we will kneel before the ultimate king and confess our sins.
“Her job now is to relinquish her sins, her job now is to repent, her job now is to let go and relieve herself of all of the mana that was left of her in the physical world,” Waititi said in te reo Maori.
Act Party leader David Seymour sought to inject humour into the august proceeding by saying the Queen held on long enough to see out Boris Johnson as the prime minister of the UK.
The members representing the Cook Islands and Tokelau were pretty much on the same page as the Maori leaders who addressed the House earlier.
The Speaker then adjourned Parliament for a week, amid criticism from Green’s Davidson who noted that the suspension of the sittings meant that the House would not host a special debate for Te Wiki o te reo Maori.