Speaker Trevor Mallard during his appearance before the Government and Administration select committee at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell
National leader Judith Collins has issued Parliament's Speaker Mallard Trevor Mallard a veiled threat that her party plans to raise repeated motions of no confidence in him as the year rolls on.
"It's this week, and it will be next week, and some weeks to come," she told media this morning.
National lodged the no-confidence motion this morning and is set to seek leave to debate it this afternoon.
However, it is unlikely to happen – any single MP can block that happening.
Despite this, shadow leader of the House Chris Bishop plans to raise the motion again tomorrow.
At the end of last year, National said it planned to try to raise a no-confidence vote in Parliament as soon as MPs were back from the summer break.
National says Mallard is not fit to be Speaker, after it was revealed he used more than $300,000 to cover a defamation legal dispute.
That dispute was prompted after he falsely accused a Parliamentary staffer of rape in 2019.
Mallard, through his lawyers, issued an apology for the distress and "humiliation his statements caused to the individual and his family".
National, however, said that was not enough and he needs to be removed as Speaker.
The party's plans were to raise the no-confidence vote today; their hopes were to trigger a debate.
But this will almost certainly not happen, as the call giving effect to the moving of the motion can be blocked if the event on MP votes against it.
As Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has expressed her support of Mallard to remain as Speaker, it's certain that one of her 64 MPs will block the motion.
As well as being Speaker, Mallard is a long-time Labour MP.
But, despite the no-confidence motion being doomed to fail, Collins said National still planned to raise it repeatedly throughout the year.
"We have about 200 sitting days this year, which I'm sure that the Speaker will have notices of motion in there for many of those."
She was cryptic when speaking to reporters this morning, teasing a plan to raise the motion of no confidence repeatedly.
Collins said the no-confidence vote will be lodged "on the basis that we think we should".
Asked if National planned to continue moving the motion over the coming weeks, she said: "Hopefully, it won't be needed. Hopefully, the Prime Minister will take this matter seriously."
This appears to be Collins saying National will continue to call for no-confidence votes until Labour also agrees it has no confidence in Mallard.
But there is some confusion around processes.
National lodged the no-confidence motion at 9.50 this morning – 10 minutes before the cut off time.
However, according to Parliament's rule book, the motion won't go on to Parliament's Order Paper – its agenda of the day – until tomorrow.
Despite this, National will still move a slightly differently worded motion this afternoon – which is also expected to be blocked by Labour.
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