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Corrections Minister Damien O'Connor has apologised to his colleagues for putting them through "unnecessary strain" after he took a suspended prison officer with him on a parliamentary rugby tour.
A contrite Mr O'Connor said sorry as he appeared in the House yesterday for the first time since returning home from co-captaining the rugby team in France.
But his apology was overshadowed by the appearance of another recent arrival from France - the large silver cup that the New Zealand team won last week in the parliamentary equivalent of the Rugby World Cup.
The trophy was carried into the House by Labour MP Dover Samuels in a show of solidarity for his flatmate Mr O'Connor, who couldn't stifle a smile as it was officially tabled in Parliament.
The move drew a ripple of applause around the debating chamber and succeeded in defusing the National Party's continued call for Mr O'Connor to be removed from the Corrections portfolio.
The minister took the flak from National during question time and said it had been his own decision to take suspended prison officer Jim Morgan on the tour.
"In hindsight I believe I made the wrong call, and it has placed unnecessary stress on my ministerial colleagues, on my staff, and on my triumphant parliamentary rugby team," he said. "For that I apologise, and that is why I offered to resign."
Prime Minister Helen Clark refused that resignation offer early this week and Mr O'Connor's future will be decided when she reshuffles her Cabinet line-up, expected by the end of next month.
National's Corrections spokesman, Simon Power, yesterday again questioned Mr O'Connor's judgment, suggesting his decision might have looked to be a personal endorsement of Mr Morgan, and could affect the attitude of whistleblowers within the department.
Mr O'Connor said he couldn't pre-judge what perceptions might be drawn from his decision, which he conceded was wrong.
Mr O'Connor was one of the first MPs to arrive in the debating chamber yesterday and he stopped to chat with several of his rugby teammates, including Labour MP Shane Jones and National MP Chris Tremain.
Mr O'Connor also received greetings from Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples and New Zealand First MP Doug Woolerton before he took his seat to face Mr Power's questions.
Mr Power was later unamused by the parading of the trophy in the House, which he said trivialised what was a serious misjudgment.
"He had just admitted he had breached the Cabinet Manual, not told the Prime Minister he was taking the manager, and offered his resignation - and then he sought to make a joke of it all."
