Activists are protesting proposed changes to New Zealand's foundational document, the Treaty of Waitangi. But is the bill more bark than bite?

New Zealand’s parliament was briefly suspended on Thursday after Maori members staged a haka to disrupt the vote on a contentious bill that would reinterpret a 184-year-old treaty between the British and Indigenous Maori.

The Treaty Principles Bill seeks to revise New Zealand’s foundational agreement with Maori people and is hugely unpopular, with even the prime minister deriding it.

The Treaty of Waitangi, which is the focus of the proposed bill, dates back to 1840 and is considered New Zealand's founding document. The agreement was signed by Māori chiefs and the British monarchy and focused on rectifying wrongs done to the indigenous people when the country was colonized.

New Zealand’s parliament descended into chaos as Maori members staged a haka in protest against a bill that would “reinterpret” the country’s founding treaty.

Parliament was briefly suspended on Thursday after Māori MPs performed a haka to disrupt a vote on a controversial bill that has ignited protests across New Zealand. The bill proposes to change the way in which the Treaty of Waitangi - a 184-year-old treaty between the British Crown and Māori people - is interpreted.