Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee is putting the brakes on MPs displaying party logos in the House. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee is putting the brakes on MPs displaying party logos in the House. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The Speaker of the House and Act MPs clashed over the wearing of party-themed lapel pins in a rowdy and dysfunctional Question Time at Parliament today.
The issue was raised as part of a rowdy sitting of Parliament which included leaders of Te Pāti Māori and New Zealand First trading boisterous comments and the Justice Minister calling a Green MP’s claim many people were more afraid of police officers than gang members as “repugnant”.
In today’s Question Time, Brownlee noted how some MPs were “displaying party logos” and advised they be removed lest he take “stronger action”, given he’d ruled yesterday that was disallowed.
He then prevented Act MP Todd Stephenson from asking his allocated question because he was wearing an Act Party pin, alongside party leader David Seymour and other MPs.
Act MP Todd Stephenson (left) and Act leader David Seymour often wear party-themed lapel pins, as can be seen here. Photo / NZME
Stephenson tried to protest, citing a lapel pin exemption enacted by former Speaker Trevor Mallard, but Brownlee didn’t change his mind.
“If you want to deliver your question to the House, remove the pin,” Brownlee stated.
Seymour jumped to his MP’s defence and cut an exasperated figure as he challenged the ruling.
“If you are seriously saying that you are not going to let people ask and answer questions in this House because they’re wearing a pin as they’ve been allowed to for year after year, I think more and more people are going to ask what your priorities actually are.”
Brownlee deflected this and maintained his position. He sought to move to the next question when Stephenson interjected: “Sorry, sir, I’ve taken my pin off.”
“Well you’re a bit slow,” Brownlee retorted.
As Act’s other MPs were still wearing pins, Brownlee pressed on with the next question, bypassing Stephenson, who was set to ask a friendly question to Seymour about Pharmac.
The issue reared its head later in Question Time when Green MP Kahurangi Carter attempted to ask Children’s Minister and Act MP Karen Chhour about cuts to Oranga Tamariki.
Given Chhour was wearing her pin, Brownlee wouldn’t allow her to stand and answer Carter’s question. He said another minister would need to respond, but dismissed Seymour’s attempt as he was also wearing the pin.
Act leader David Seymour opposed the Speaker's decision. Photo / Mark Mitchell
National minister and Leader of the House Chris Bishop tried to argue the relevant minister should be able to answer but Brownlee stood by his call.
Seymour appeared to be shaking his head in the direction of his National colleagues, seemingly telling them not to rise and answer.
However, Social Development Minister Louise Upston stood and gave answers that were vague but deemed fair.
Seymour later told journalists he believed Brownlee was overly focused on the lapel pin issue and was ignoring a matter Act had previously raised over one of its MPs allegedly being unable to head a select committee about an issue relating to Māori because she wasn’t Māori or Pasifika.
He also said Parliament’s rules forbade another minister from answering Chhour’s question if she was in the House.
“The bigger issue is maybe the Speaker should just let people answer the questions and deal with the more serious issue that we’ve raised with him, which he’s ignored.
“The Speaker has great power, but he’s actually got to use it responsibly.”
Minister slams Green MP’s ‘repugnant” comment
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith used Question Time to criticise Carter for a comment she’d made while debating the Government’s proposed gang powers legislation last night.
At the end of her speech, Carter suggested “many” New Zealanders would feel safer meeting a patched gang member than a police officer in a dark alley, as she tried to articulate the relationship some, particularly Māori, had with both groups.
National MP Cameron Brewer responded in a speech shortly after, saying the comment indicated how far the Greens had “lost reality”.
Goldsmith today said Carter’s comments were repugnant and believed police officers would consider them “a kick in the guts”.
Carter later defended her speech and said many communities she had heard from had reflected similar sentiments.
Chris Bishop was left slightly red-faced in the House today. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Speaker shuts down Bishop
Bishop as Leader of the House was left slightly red-faced as he questioned the Speaker about recently ousted Green MP Darleen Tana’s ability to ask questions.
Tana, who used they/them pronouns, had been absent from Parliament for months amid an inquiry into their alleged involvement in migrant exploitation relating to Tana’s husband’s business.
Following the inquiry, Tana resigned from the Green Party and was acting as an independent MP. In that capacity, Tana asked two supplementary questions today.
Both Bishop and NZ First leader Winston Peters questioned why Tana had been able to ask questions so soon after their return, Bishop saying it seemed unusual.
Brownlee was quick in his response, informing the House that he found Bishop’s query unusual given Bishop had approved the allocation of questions, including Tana’s, earlier in the week.
‘You’ll be gone in five minutes’: Peters and Waititi lock horns
An exhibition of playground-esque puffing of chests also featured during Question Time as Peters and Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi locked horns.
Waititi and Peters had contested to ask a supplementary question of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
When Brownlee ruled Peters could go first, Peters quipped to Waititi: “When [I’m] speaking, you keep quiet, all right.”
Waititi shot back: “Or what?”
Peters, summoning some force behind his response, said: “Or what? You’ll be gone in five minutes, that’s what!”
That led to Brownlee getting to his feet to stop the exchange: “Sorry, we’re not having this.”
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
