ACT leader David Seymour's speech at Waitangi on Monday was greeted by people singing a waiata in protest.
It comes as Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and other Government ministers have made their highly anticipated arrival at Waitangi on Monday morning.
After being the topic of conversation for weeks ahead of Waitangi since becoming responsible for the Treaty Principles Bill, Seymour gave his speech on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds just after 1pm.
As he begins speaking, the crowd breaks out in a waiata.
During his speech, a man tells the crowd to let him speak, but when Seymour begins to talk again, the crowd continues their waiata.
"We need to start talking about ideas and stop attacking people," Seymour said.
"Let’s have respect and let's have facts."
At one point during his speech, when the ACT leader is talking about partnership for all, a protester walks onto the atea before being asked to move back and the waiata again breaks out.
Seymour keeps talking as a number of the crowd sing "whakarongo e noho".
"You are not going to beat an idea with singing any more than you are going to beat an idea with a gun," Seymour said.
"These debates are about our identity."
He added there are people across the country watching the singing and asking "why do those people have a right to stop the rest of New Zealand debating their future?"
"News flash, you don't," Seymour added.
Watch Seymour's speech in the video above.
