Speaker Gerry Brownlee urges MPs to use complaint process amid concerns about Parliament behaviour

Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee is urging MPs to use an established complaint process if they believe Parliament’s standards haven’t been met amid concerns about MPs’ behaviour.

It comes as one senior minister has given a written apology to Green MP Ricardo Menendez March for saying, “You’re not in Mexico now, we don’t do things like that here”, while March was speaking in the House.

Brownlee today spoke before Question Time of recent public comments about the standard of MP behaviour, likely referring to Children’s Minister and Act MP Karen Chhour saying she didn’t feel safe working in Parliament and claimed she faced regular personal attacks.

Brownlee, who warned he would be “more vigilant” in monitoring such behaviour, said MPs with concerns should engage Commissioner of Parliamentary Standards Lyn Provost.

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Provost, a former Auditor-General, was appointed to the independent role two years ago. It was created following the 2019 review of bullying and harassment within Parliament.

Brownlee, who had come under strong criticism from Act leader David Seymour recently about some of his rulings, noted no complaints had been made to Provost since the role’s inception.

Brownlee explained his approach had been one of trusting MPs to behave appropriately and to reflect the wishes of the voters.

“That was perhaps too hopeful a position,” Brownlee said wryly.

Last week, Chhour broke down in tears as she detailed how attacks she believed to be about her personally had made her feel unsafe in Parliament.

She had refused to describe the attacks in detail but had previously hit out at Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi for calling her a party puppet in te reo Māori.

Children's Minister Karen Chhour said she didn't feel safe in Parliament last week. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Chhour said she would consider whether to approach the commissioner and assess whether it was an appropriate option.

However, it seemed unlikely to align with her party given Seymour said today he had “always opposed” the commissioner as he believed an unelected person being able to sanction MPs was an “affront to the voters”.

Asked how she was feeling after last week, Chhour said she was better and was receiving good support from the party.

“I’m human. Everybody has a bad day, so you just pick yourself up and carry on.”

Last week, members of the Act Party clashed with Brownlee over the wearing of party-themed lapel pins.

The issue contributed to a more serious shot across Brownlee’s bow from Seymour who said his confidence in Brownlee was “falling by the day”.

The lapel pins, worn by Act MPs, were raised following Brownlee’s ruling no party logos could be worn in the House - something National and Act MPs had previously complained about with reference to Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke.

Brownlee prohibited Act MP Todd Stephenson from asking a question and prevented Act minister Karen Chhour from answering one when MPs continued to wear the pins.

The conflict sat alongside Seymour’s claim Brownlee was failing to address racial harassment in Parliament when it emerged Act MP Laura Trask was opposed in her bid to chair a select committee because she wasn’t Māori or Pasifika and because she wasn’t as experienced as a first-term MP.

Trask had sought to chair a select committee receiving public submissions about the repeal of child protection reforms, which was driven by Act and strenuously opposed by many Māori organisations.

That then prompted an emotional response from Chhour who felt she and other Act MPs were being unfairly targeted in Parliament, claiming she did not feel it a safe place to work.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon reiterated his call for MPs to tone down divisive language.

Seymour last week suggested National MP and deputy Speaker Barbara Kuriger would be a good replacement for Brownlee, when asked who he thought could hold the top role instead.

Last week, Trade Minister and National MP Todd McClay was found on the wrong side of Parliament’s rules when he heckled at March: “You’re not in Mexico now, we don’t do things like that here,” while the Green MP was speaking in the House.

While McClay was made to apologise in the House at the time, March today said McClay had sent a written apology.

March told journalists his feelings were not as important as the message McClay’s comment sent to migrants in New Zealand.

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.