Maori MPs 'swear allegiance to King Skin Rash in swipe at Charles' at opening of New Zealand parliament

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 in parliament and represents the Maori people, mockingly called him 'Kīngi harehare', instead of using the Maori name for him, 'Kīngi Tiāre.'

'Harehare' is derogatory term in Maori that means 'skin rash' or 'sore', as well as 'objectionable' and 'affronting', according to the Māori Dictionary. 

All New Zealand MPs are required to swear allegiance to King Charles, as he officially the nation's head of state. 

But the Te Pāti Māori party opposes this, claiming the oath is symbolic of the colonial power that Parliament places above the standing of Indigenous people. The party also supports removing King Charles as New Zealand's head of state. 

Te Pāti Māori politicians also broke protocol by pledging allegiance first to their descendants and the country's founding document. 

They each made a pledge to their mokopuna, or descendants, to tikanga, or Maori practices, and the Maori version of the Treaty of Waitangi. 

The Treaty of Waitangi signed in 1840, laid down 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 Maori ceded sovereignty.

Critics of the party said that Te Pāti Māori mocked the King, who is planning on visiting the country next year. 

'They are trying to make fun of the transliteration 'hare', which if said as 'harehare' is kind of a transliteration of Charlie, but it also means something objectionable,' New Zealand First MP Shane Jones said. 

David Seymour, leader of the libertarian party ACT New Zealand, dismissed the demonstrations as 'divisive theatrics'.

'New Zealanders elected a government that will treat people equally, regardless of their race,' he said.

There has been debate for some time on whether the Pacific nation should become a republic, with a citizen as the head of state. 

In some Indigenous communities this feeling is stronger, both in New Zealand and elsewhere, as the king is a symbol of colonialistion.

In 2022, Indigenous Australian parliamentarian Lidia Thorpe had to retake her parliamentary oath after she changed it to label Britain's queen a coloniser.

A number of New Zealand politicians have previously tried to avoid the oath but relented to participate in government.