A vote in New Zealand’s parliament was suspended and two lawmakers ejected Thursday amid debate over a controversial proposed law redefining the country’s founding agreement between Indigenous Māori and the British Crown.

Maori lawmakers stage a haka to protest a contentious New Zealand indigenous rights bill :::: Wellington, New ZealandThe ACT New Zealand party, a junior partner in the country's centre-right coalition government,

The bill objects to certain to "ethnic quotas in public institutions," arguing protections for Māori culture defy "the principle of equal rights."