He has moved a motion for the general debate on Te Pāti Māori MPs to take place on Thursday, June 5.
While the punishments recommended by the Privileges Committee will remain as they are, the House’s vote on the report will take place following the Budget, says Leader of the House Chris Bishop.
“The actions that led to these punishments were unprecedented in their disrespect for Parliament and the taxpayers to whom we are accountable,” says Bishop.
“Our position on the recommended punishments remains unchanged.
“It is critical that there are consequences for wrongdoing in Parliament. Te Pati Māori’s co-leaders have never accepted what they did was wrong. They have never apologised despite many opportunities, and it is not clear they even accept the jurisdiction of the Privileges Committee. They have never turned up to explain themselves despite numerous opportunities.
“The Budget is the central Parliamentary event of the year, which gives the House the chance to debate and then either endorse or reject the Government’s spending plans. Constitutionally, there is nothing more important than the Budget process which gives the House the opportunity to express confidence in the Government.
“Deferring consideration of the debate means all members will have the opportunity to debate and vote on the Budget.
“If the Leader of the Opposition wants to waste taxpayers’ time by dragging out the debate on the Privileges Committee’s report and advocating for Te Pati Māori and its breaches of Parliament’s rules, he is welcome to. But New Zealanders will see that for what it is.”
Earlier the chair of Parliaments Privileges Committee Judith Collins laid out the logic behind the privileges committee’s
recommendation – noting it was “disappointing now to hear personal attacks and allegations of racism” against the committee.
“We have simply done our job,” she said.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins is the first to respond, suggesting an amendment to her motion to censure Raiwiri Watiti and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer with a 24-hour suspension from Parliament, and no suspension for Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke.
He then went over several incidents in recent history where MPs were not sanctioned, including ACT leader David Seymour (who he did not name) driving a Land Rover up the steps of Parliament, and Green MP Julie-Anne Genter (who he also did not name) confronting a National MP during a debate.
He also suggested the privileges committee’s report did not make clear why the three MPs were facing such a harsh sanction, and what that means for future rulings.
He added: “What they are doing today is wrong.”
