Front-bench gains for small parties

By VERNON SMALL

The minor parties have won their battle for more front-row seats in Parliament, at the expense of National, which lost two of the coveted nine seats opposite the Government.

Newly elected Speaker Jonathan Hunt yesterday set the new seating arrangements. He gave Winston Peters' New Zealand First three front-bench seats, including two of the nine National was hoping to retain.

Mr Peters also won one seat in the second row which will be filled by NZ First's whip, Ron Mark.

The move is a blow to National's morale as it fights to retain its dominant role in Opposition.

It will mean National police spokesman Tony Ryall and agriculture spokesman David Carter move to the second row.

National MP Gerry Brownlee said it was not what his party had sought, but it accepted that Parliament had the right to determine its own future.

"The Speaker has made a ruling that we fully accept. We are Her Majesty's official loyal Opposition and will be about the business from tomorrow."

Mr Hunt said he had to take account of the new configuration after the election.

Sharing 14 front-row seats among the Opposition parties, with a combined 58 seats, was not an easy job.

He had resolved that the Greens and Act, with nine seats, should get two front-row slots. That suggested that NZ First, with 13 seats, should get three, leaving National with the remaining seven.

He then gave the parties their choice of where to sit in order of the size of their vote at the election.

Mr Peters decided to sit alongside National.

Act opted to take the seats at the apex of the horseshoe-shaped Parliament, across the aisle from United Future.

That leaves the Greens sandwiched between Act and NZ First, despite signing a co-operation agreement with the Government yesterday.

Green co-leader Rod Donald said he was pleased with being allocated two front-bench seats, after initially being offered one.

The standing orders committee, which will review Parliament's rules, will be set up this week.

It will be under pressure from the Greens and NZ First to review the title of Leader of the Opposition, which automatically goes to the leader of the largest non-Government party.

Mr Hunt said he saw no reason for a change, but all 402 standing orders would be examined.

National, Labour and a majority of the minor parties would need to agree before there was a change to standing orders.

Mr Hunt said the committee had always worked on the basis of "near unanimity".

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