By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter
Education Minister Trevor Mallard has kept his place as top of the class of Parliament's bad boys.
He was expelled from the debating chamber four times in the year since the present Parliament was formed - which usually means sitting out in the lobbies reading a newspaper until the end of question time.
Act's Rodney Hide is second worst, and National's aggressive junior whip, Gerry Brownlee, has leaped from nowhere into third worst-behaved.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has clearly tried much harder this year and is now 6th worst instead of second worst last time.
There are no women on the list, which is compiled by United Future leader Peter Dunne, seen as a somewhat worthy goodie-two-shoes.
His staff report that in a 17-year career, the worst he got was being made to withdraw and apologise for comparing Jack Elder, Internal Affairs Minister at the time, Jack Elder, to a pooch.
Rodney Hide said he was scratching his head to remember his misdemeanours.
He did remember being thrown out by an unamused Speaker, Jonathan Hunt, for asking New Zealand First leader Winston Peters to slow down as he read out a list of internet porn sites a fireman had allegedly accessed.
Mr Hide said, however, that the Government often took offence from inoffensive statements as a device to break up an Opposition MP's speech.
There were no National MPs on the last bad-list, compiled in 1998 when the party was in Government.
But in Opposition, National claims four places: Mr Brownlee and frontbenchers Max Bradford, Nick Smith and the choirboyish Bill English.
Mr English said he was disturbed to find himself "in any way associated with the thuggish behaviour of Trevor Mallard."
Mr Mallard, who is rarely unavailable for comment, was unavailable for comment.
He said tartly through a spokeswoman: "I turn up to the House far more often that Peter Dunne does.
"It's fair enough to say I take an active interest in the parliamentary debating chamber and that does sometimes lead to pushing the boundaries of freedom of speech."
Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday singled out Mr Mallard as one of her two star cabinet ministers this year - the other was Paul Swain.
And Mr Hunt says that "every party needs a Trevor Mallard."
He was a hard-hitter but he was also one of the best at giving full answers in the House.
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