Parliament considers video rule shake-up

Speaker Trevor Mallard last week made a ruling requiring the opposition to take down attack videos using footage from Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Rules restricting how footage from Parliament can be used are set to be reviewed.

The Standing Orders Committee today announced it was taking public submissions into a review of how footage from Parliament could be used, amid a broader three-yearly review of rules.

National defied Parliamentary Speaker Trevor Mallard last week after he ruled all parties had to take down videos containing politicians in the House if they didn't have permission from the MPs - effectively prohibiting a series of videos made by the Opposition this year.

However, it is likely the decision was made at the last scheduled Standing Orders Committee meeting, held on Thursday - before National's protest.

The committee is made up of five MPs from Government parties and five from the Opposition. It's chaired by Mallard.

His ruling on Thursday followed a complaint about a National video featuring Labour MP Deborah Russell making a speech about wellbeing, before trailing off onto Greek philosophy.

"While there has been some discussion about what constitutes a 'political advertisement', it is clear to me that videos that support one party or aim to reduce support for another party are the sorts of items covered by [Parliament's rules]," the Speaker told the House.

In past, both Labour and National have run video that would have broken the rule, but Mallard's ruling only applied to ads made in 2019.

Calling the ruling a "chilling move designed to stop freedom of expression", every member of the National Party on Friday instead reposted the video of Russell.

"He has pushed the matter to a process, which effectively gags us for a significant period of time," Opposition leader Simon Bridges said.

National declined to comment on Monday.

Public submissions on the rules will be open until October 16.