Speaker Trevor Mallard took issue with what he said were attempts to shout down Government ministers Carmel Sepuloni and Megan Woods. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Speaker Trevor Mallard took issue with what he said were attempts to shout down Government ministers Carmel Sepuloni and Megan Woods. Photo / Mark Mitchell
National MPs have again clashed with Speaker Trevor Mallard – unhappy with, what they say was, his accusation of "sexist behaviour" from National MPs.
The row in the House was heated and led to Mallard kicking senior National MP Simon Bridges out of the House.
It's the second time thismonth Mallard has given the former National leader the boot.
During question time this afternoon, Mallard took issue with, what he said was, many attempts to shout down Government ministers Carmel Sepuloni and Megan Woods while they were answering questions.
"I don't want to reflect on some of the reasoning behind that but it doesn't look good."
National's shadow leader of the House Chris Bishop challenged Mallard on, what Bishop said was, Mallard accusing National's front bench of "some sexist behaviour".
He added that yesterday, Peeni Henare had made a "reow, reow" cat sound before a female National MP got up to speak in the House – Government MPs have defended Henare by saying the comments were during a debate about the Lion King.
But Bishop said this had gone "completely unpunished" by Mallard and questioned the "standards" in the House.
To that, Mallard said he did not hear the "animal noise" at the time – but he dug his heels in with, what Bishop implied was, an implication of sexism within National's front bench.
Simon Bridges challenged the Speaker on a point of order, saying the Speaker had been making "personal remarks" about National MPs for some weeks now. Photo / Pool
"I just make the point, that there has been one thing that has been in common with the people who have been shouted down," he said; the implication being they have all been women.
Bridges took issue with that comment and challenged Mallard with a point of order, saying the Speaker had been making "personal remarks" about National MPs for some weeks now.
"It's simply not right and I ask you as a senior member of this Parliament to stop doing it."
Mallard proceeded to kick Bridges out of the House.
Bridges and Mallard's feud has escalated somewhat since Parliament began sitting this year.
In late February, Bridges followed his colleague Paul Goldsmith out of the House in solidarity with his objection to one of Mallard's rulings.
As he was walking out, he was heard by a number of MPs calling the Speaker a "twat". The next day, Bridges admitted to using "unparliamentary" language.
"I said a lot yesterday. I can't remember everything [I said]," he said when pressed by reporters this morning over whether or not he used the word twat.
But he said that in the past, "Mallard has gotten away with saying far worse".
