Moment New Zealand parliament session halted as unapproved haka breaks out

New Zealand's parliament was briefly halted after MPs and members of the public gallery launched into an unapproved haka.

The traditional Maori performance erupted in celebration after the first speech of Te Pati Maori MP, Oriini Kaipara, on Thursday.

Kaipara, who joined parliament in September to fill a vacant seat, had just finished her address to the House when she and others began chanting and stamping in a haka. House Speaker Gerry Brownlee appeared to roll his eyes as he asked them to stop. “No, not that. The guarantee was that would not be taking place," he said, before temporarily suspending the sitting when the haka continued.

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The song had been planned and approved by those taking part, according to Reuters. However, it had not been formally authorised, as parliamentarians and political parties must obtain permission for any haka performed in the public gallery.

Parliament later resumed, with Brownlee saying he would investigate whether any party or MPs had prior knowledge of the performance. He described the gallery's actions as contemptuous.

This is clearly not the first time a haka has made headlines. Last year, Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand's youngest MP, performed a protest haka while tearing up a copy of the Treaty Principles Bill.

The controversial bill sought to reinterpret the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document, which sets out the rights of Maori and non-Maori in the country. The treaty was signed in 1840 by some Maori tribes and the British Crown after the colonisation of New Zealand by Britain.

Three Te Pati Maori MPs were suspended for their performance in June. The contentious bill ultimately failed to pass into law.

The haka is a group performance that involves chanting, stamping and intense facial expressions, and is traditionally performed to celebrate significant occasions, such as welcoming guests or before sporting events.

Maori make up an estimated 17.4 percent of New Zealand's population - 922,800 people - according to Stats NZ, the country's official data agency. The data also show that many Maori face disadvantages compared with the general population, particularly in health and education.