Matariki has officially been made a holiday in New Zealand. The Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill passed its third reading in Parliament this evening with support from Labour, the Māori Party and the Greens.
Almost 50 years since the establishment of Waitangi Day as a public holiday, this year will see mātauranga Māori celebrated and supported nationally, with the minister responsible for this bill, Kiritapu Allan, saying it signifies the importance of mātauranga Māori in the country's identity
“I must acknowledge those who have been bastions of that knowledge and have been so generous as to give us that knowledge and guide us in this process to make sure that the integrity of these commemorations, when we reflect on what they are intended, that that integrity isn’t lost,” Allan said.
The bill didn’t get unanimous support from the House.
National MP Paul Goldsmith spoke against the bill in its third reading.
“It is our humble view that rather than adding another public holiday to our list, this should have been brought in, replacing one of the current ones,” he said.
The Matariki holiday was first proposed in 2009 by then-Maori Party MP Rahui Katene but it was rejected.
This year the Matariki holiday will be celebrated on June 24, with the date changing each year to coincide with the Maramataka Māori.