KEY POINTS:
Putting up a banner declaring "Labour Party supports Chinese" at Chinese New Year celebrations last month has landed Minister of Ethnic Affairs Chris Carter in hot soup.
National complained - saying the minister played party politics at the Beehive event, attended by 400 representatives from the Chinese community, diplomats and MPs - and Speaker Margaret Wilson agreed.
The Speaker has reminded Mr Carter that "it is a long-standing convention that events within the precincts of Parliament must not be party political ... and asking that this does not happen again".
National's Pansy Wong, Parliament's only Chinese MP, said the banner had cheapened what was the most important celebration of the Chinese community.
Mr Carter accepted that putting the banner up was a mistake.
"[It] was put up in the Grand Hall in error and the issue has been discussed with the Speaker's office," he said.
Prime Minister Helen Clark said at the function that the Government placed great value on its relationship with the Chinese community.
