'I will die for you': New Zealand's youngest MP in 170 years makes powerful first speech | WATCH

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand's youngest MP since 1853, grabbed the attention of social media through her maiden speech in the Parliament, where she spoke in her native tongue and assailed government policies against indigenous people in the country, including the Māori community from where she belongs. In a report by the New Zealand Herald, the 21-year-old Maipi-Clarke dedicated her last month's maiden speech to all tamariki Māori, "who have been sitting in the back of their classroom their whole life, whakamā, waiting for generations longing to learn their native tongue, to the tamariki who haven’t been to their pepeha yet, it is waiting for you with open arms". New Zealand's policies against indigenous communities Maipi-Clarke's comments come after New Zealand's new coalition government, sworn in November 2023, decided to review the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, or Treaty of Waitangi, which upholds Māori rights, including the right to autonomy, The Guardian reported. The government – led by New Zealand National Party’s Christopher Luxon and with the populist New Zealand First leader, Winston Peters, and Act party leader David Seymour sharing the deputy prime minister role – has announced at least a dozen policies that provide for Māori will be repealed or reviewed, including initiatives to improve Māori health outcomes, stopping race-based policies and minimising the Māori language use in public service.