Māori leader calls taihoa (a delay) on republic debate as royals grieve

One of the most esteemed Māori leaders in the northern hemisphere is hoping people will taihoa – or delay – debating New Zealand’s future as a republic while the royal family is grieving the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, NZ Herald reports. Whaea Esther Jessop, the Ngāti Rānana London Māori Club founding member at 88 years old, acknowledged the need for debate but questioned its timing. “Of course, there is a need for dialogue in New Zealand,” Jessop said. “But I think, as a grandmother, I veer on the side of leaving that aside for now… There will be time for dialogue, but I think at the moment my own feeling is taihoa – just wait.”