Maori Party co-leader in NZ parliament tie row

Rawiri Waititi, the Co-Leader of New Zealand's Maori Party, was asked to leave a Parliament session on Tuesday because he was not wearing a tie.

Last week, Trevor Mallard, the Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, ruled that ties needed to be worn in Parliament.

On Tuesday, Mallard did not allow Waititi to speak because he was not wearing a tie.

Waititi argued he should be able to wear the traditional Maori stone necklace Pounamu instead.

"This is a tie to my people, this is a tie to the plight," he said.

Other members of Parliament were asked for their thoughts on the issue and offered mixed responses.

Waititi's fellow Maori Party Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer decided to wear a tie on Tuesday.

"I do activism by fashion", she said and added that it showed "the ridiculousness of this".