December 05, 2023
MPs chafe at oath to king
![Watermark](/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-4.png)
![](https://waateanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/mntBLOCKSTORAGEhomemasternews_importersrcparliament259.jpg_1_Pub.jpg)
Labour’s newest Māori MP, Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, says there is growing disquiet about the form of the oath of allegiance, which will be taken by all MPs at the start of parliament tomorrow.
All six Te Pāti Māori MP’s have flagged they’d like to swear allegiance to te Tiriti o Waitangi and mokopuna instead of to His Majesty King Charles the Third.
Ms Tangaere-Manuel says it may be time for change.
“When we were going through induction a lot of people felt uncomfortable about it and they were told there and then to maybe look at the process of getting that changed formally – we’ll just have to see how that goes,” she says.
MP’s can choose from two scripts in either English or te reo Māori – to swear an oath to be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the Third; or to affirm solemnly, sincerely, and truly to be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the Third.