House brawling takes small parties to brink of walkout

Labour has held off launching its threatened personal attacks against National MPs but there is little sign that the fiery election spending battle is dying down.

In another feisty day at Parliament, Labour and National yesterday traded allegations of covert election funding and corruption while the smaller parties revealed they were on the brink of a mass walkout unless behaviour in the House improved.

The session was the third in what has been a raucous week.

Labour is mounting an attack on National's election campaign funding as it fights intense criticism of the use of taxpayers' money to fund its own $446,000 pledge card.

Several of Labour's senior MPs were absent from the House, and those left behind decided against following through with threats made this week by Cabinet minister Trevor Mallard to reveal secrets about the private lives of their opponents.

But it is understood the personal attacks could still eventuate next week if National continues to label Labour corrupt in the election spending battle.

Speaker Margaret Wilson has called the whips of all parties to a meeting next Tuesday in an effort to sort out behaviour in the House.

She said yesterday there appeared to be a "concerted campaign" to ensure some questions and answers were not heard.

"I could throw out what would be almost the entire House at times," she said in a stern telling-off to MPs.

Her frustration was echoed by Parliament's smaller parties, who yesterday revealed they had held a meeting on Wednesday night to discuss the events of the House this week.

Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said the parties had agreed to collectively walk out of the House if National and Labour continued the fierce barracking witnessed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"We're not prepared to sit here with what's been going on over the last week or so, because it is a complete waste of our time," she said.

New Zealand First decided not to get involved, apparently after its MPs discussed the matter with leader Winston Peters, Ms Fitzsimons said.

The walkout idea was eventually abandoned. Ms Fitzsimons said that was because Labour had improved its behaviour, probably after being tipped off about the plan.

United Future and the Maori Party both issued press statements yesterday slamming the "disgraceful" behaviour.

United Future leader Peter Dunne said National might think it was doing well to disrupt question time, and Labour might think it was countering that by threatening to "dish up the dirt" on National.

But both should pull back "from the brink they are both now rapidly heading towards".