New Zealand's parliament has been suspended for a short period when people in the public gallery broke into a haka after the newest member of parliament for the Maori party finished her maiden speech.

Te Pati Maori's Oriini Kaipara was elected to parliament in September to fill a vacant seat and made her first speech to the House on Thursday.

Following the speech, members of parliament from across the house and those in the public gallery sang a planned and approved Maori song to celebrate her arrival.

The public gallery then erupted into an unsanctioned haka and some members of parliament joined in.

Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee asked them to stop the traditional Maori dance.

"No, not that. The guarantee was that would not be taking place," he said on Thursday.

When they conti

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