Private lives now out of order
The Press reports that the Speaker, Margaret Wilson, plans to crack down on references to MPs private lives in Parliament.
Wilson said it had become clear that the punch-up between Mallard and Henare had come about because of the general conduct of MPs in the House, and she had instructed her officials to be stricter on behaviour.
“Offensive or unbecoming references to members’ private affairs have become all too common in the chamber. They create disorder and I and the other presiding officers intend to deal with them very firmly in future,” Wilson said.
Now I support the Speaker 100% in her decision to crack down, but I do wonder about the timing.
Couldn’t the Speaker have decided to crack down after Mallard and Benson-Pope started referring to Don Brash’s alleged affair in the House? That would have been a sensible time to crack down.
Wouldn’t any of the several dozen times a Labour or NZ First MP has referred disparagingly to Nick Smith’s stress leave have been a good time to crack down?
Better late then never though.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Sooooo…. only when it starts to hurt a Labour MP does this vile woman take action. Not a peep when the Labour MPs (Mallard and PSB) were throwing it, but the minute the mud rebounds the rules are highlighted (it has always been the case to leave out personal lives)
Is this because Investigate is about to release some sorid detail of some Labour MP or spouse spouse?
November 8th, 2007 at 9:01 am
Full marks to Margaret EWIlson for coming up with this initiative all on her own (TUI?)
It’s progress. Progress won when apparently the previous atempts to limit the invective have failed, when ‘pitbull’ Mallard is no longer in the frame, and when the dirty tricks have eventually backfired on Labour.
But progress all the same.
Does it not raise the question whether soon we will be at a loss for something we CAN comment on, though?
November 8th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Well… her delay allowed Tau the chance to enact a little revenge. In retrospect I imagine she wishes she had announced a crackdown after the Brash business.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:36 am
I’d still like to know who Sharon is. And if the other party was in fact not named Sharon (or none of the other parties, as the case may be) then I’m not sure this rule would have caught it.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:38 am
DPF
I’m surprised that you’re supporting this potentially anti-democratic move?
November 8th, 2007 at 9:48 am
PaulL: Sharon is Tane. And Tane is Roger Nome. And Sam Dixon. They are all one. Resistance is futile.
Private lives and personal attacks should stay out, shouldn’t it? Unless you’re a National MP, then you and everything about you is fair game as they highlight what an evil capitalist you are.
But really, people should know by now that we are not allowed to say nasty things about Labour. /sarcasm
November 8th, 2007 at 9:56 am
Dean – standing orders also disallow you calling an MP a liar. Is that also anti-democratic.
MPs can say what they like outside the chamber of course. Also I don’t think the Speaker intends this to stop someone referring to family conflict of interests in speeches for examples. I read it as just coming down harder on personal interjections.
November 8th, 2007 at 10:24 am
Well DPF on this I dont agree I want to know if MPs practise what they preach. I want to know if the MP that tells me what I can and cannot do is doing or not doing the same.
Im sick and tired of these bastards talking out both sides of their mouths at the same time.
I say lets have transperancey and disclosure NOT what we have now which is Do as I say not as I do mentality. And that goes for the lot of them
November 8th, 2007 at 10:39 am
Too little, too late.
If Margaret Wilson is serious about improving standards in the House, she should firstly look at her own stewardship. As I have said previously, she is IMHO the worst Speaker since the late Dr Gerry Wall, and certainly the most partisan.
November 8th, 2007 at 11:04 am
last two parliament speakers both are disgrace to this country.
November 8th, 2007 at 11:05 am
Margaret Wilson is an extremely partisan Speaker and as such lowers the standing of Parliament in the Community except for the party hacks in the Labour Party. She is very bad for Parliament generally and will not be missed when she finally goes perhaps as early as April next year. The National Party are too soft on her and should simply make her life a living hell until she finally goes. She should be treated the way Muldoon treated Hunt in the mid 70s.
November 8th, 2007 at 11:12 am
The attacks on Don Brash were … less unjustified … than the attacks on Mallard, because the Don was figuratively, as well as literally, in bed with the Business Round Table. Was Mallard planning to funnel government funds to his girlfriend’s business?
November 8th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Anyone else pick up this little gem yesterday?
“Tourism Industry—Initiatives
8. DARIEN FENTON (Labour) on behalf of RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER (Labour) to the Minister of Tourism: What initiatives for the development of the tourism industry has he received recently?
Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I am just a little confused. The question on the sheet is in the name of Russell Fairbrother. Mr Fairbrother is here. Why then is the question being asked by a colleague, Madam Speaker? The rules are pretty straightforward, I would have thought.
Madam SPEAKER: I was also a little taken by surprise myself, but the question has been asked. It is appropriate. Would the Minister now please address it.
Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Can you tell us where the Standing Orders allow this particular arrangement, because this would be a new ruling on your part?
Madam SPEAKER: The advice is that the member cannot ask it. So I will ask Russell Fairbrother to please ask the question.
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER (Labour) What initiatives for the development of the tourism industry has he received recently?
Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR (Minister of Tourism): The New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 was launched today. The strategy provides a framework for the growth and development of tourism in New Zealand to 2015. The industry has set new targets to boost visitor satisfaction and to increase the amount of money that each and every visitor to this country spends. Implementing the strategy, which is a joint Government and industry initiative, will ensure that tourism is valued as the leading contributor to a sustainable New Zealand in 2015. And can I say that my benchmate Darren Hughes was very enthusiastic about the cover of the document.
Darien Fenton: How will this new initiative contribute to the Government’s sustainability objectives?
Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR: Sustainability is at the forefront of this Government’s agenda. The strategy sets new targets to help us measure our progress in delivering our ultimate goal, which is sustainable tourism. The strategy encourages the tourism sector to take a lead role in protecting and enhancing our environment. This includes improving energy efficiency and reducing waste.”
The word in the General Debate was that Fairbrother refused to ask the “patsy”. The worst element though was that Wilson tried to circumvent the rules, and had to back down. Check out the points of order made by Brownlee – what Hansard does not show is the long pause while the new Clerk of the House told Wilson she had got her ruling on his first point of order wrong!
November 8th, 2007 at 11:18 am
that’s right pete… anyone/anything is fair game if you dislike the subject. ever thought of a career in the Labour party?
November 8th, 2007 at 11:22 am
Wow, kk, is your reading comprehension that bad?
November 8th, 2007 at 11:40 am
pete, you indicated that the attacks on brash were more justified (‘less unjustified‘) because of a rumoured behaviour that you took exception too. i don’t buy into this type of situational ethics. you obviously do. it’s a free country (for now)… so i guess that’s fine.
November 8th, 2007 at 11:52 am
DPF:
I find that rule odd too, although the point is that in the case of lying, that point can be made by MPs putting the contrary view and allowing the inference itself to be drawn.
However, quarantining any discussion about MPs private lies risks casting a cloak of secrecy over matters which some of us believe the public have a right to know and our representatives should be entitled to contest.
November 8th, 2007 at 11:55 am
National’s desire to send more money the way of private hospitals is hardly “rumoured behaviour”.
Labour got away with the attacks on Brash because the irony of his choice of mistress was funny.
November 8th, 2007 at 11:59 am
You would wonder at the timing alright!!!!!!
Is there something else that is leaking out that could be exposed ???
Perhaps the minister for consort issues could clarify this?
November 8th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
I am increasingly depressed by the un- and anti-democratic
laws and rules being foist upon the coitizens of this once proud nation.
Margaret Wilson and Helen Clark are surely Enemies of the State and should be treated as the communist filth they surely are. How did we let it get to this?
Where is the Governor General?? Why should Australia be the only country here in the Pacific to get it’s PM kicked out of office by
the People’s true representative. The silence is deafening. Surely a word in H’s ear like “drop the EFB because it will not be signed into law” would trip up these would-be dictators before they surround the Beehive with
soldiers because of an undefined and permanent “terrorist threat” then imprison all opposition leaders?
November 8th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
hawk, the governor general signed the retrospective validation (‘labour theft’) bill despite loud protests suggesting that he should decline to do so. i don’t hold much hope that the current line-up of democracy-debilitating bills will be treated any differently
November 8th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
pete said ; “Labour got away with the attacks on Brash because the irony of his choice of mistress was funny.”
And the deplorable antics of Peter is not mud that National wants to throw about in the hows your father house of madness .
Talk about psychotic lickspittle bullshitters ?
November 8th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I find that rule odd too
The rule is designed to ensure that the House doesn’t fall into disorder. MPs calling others liars or hypocrites can create situations which rapidly descend to the point where no-one can hear anyone else and absolutely nothing gets done. In the past, Speakers have realised that words like “hypocrite” and “liar” have this tendency. Other words that oppositions have dreamt up over time to avoid these rules been added to the list, as they too started to create disorder.
Now Offensive or unbecoming references to members’ private affairs have been added to the list.
November 8th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
“I am increasingly depressed by the un- and anti-democratic
laws and rules being foist(ed) upon the c(o)itizens of this once proud nation.”
go to your doctor and get some state subsidised drugs like that nat mp did then!
your spouting poppy cock, all gov’ts ram legislation through, you’re just miffed that your blue rinse mates aren’t in the top jobs…
come on when the nats get back in, will they act any differently, bloody unlikely going on history…
November 8th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
sicoff, no previous government of any shape, colour or allegiance has attempted to pervert our democratic process like the current Labour government. take off your ideological blinkers… what’s happening to nz is tragic. every NZer (left, right, green, young, old etc) should be concerned.
November 8th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
“sicoff, no previous government of any shape, colour or allegiance has attempted to pervert our democratic process like the current Labour government. take off your ideological blinkers… what’s happening to nz is tragic.”
oh, take your bloody blinkers off mate- National is fine with 90% of Labour’s proposed electoral law changes, and most of the rest of what they’re objecting to is going to be ironed out at the select committee stage – as you would know if you were in the loop.
November 8th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Sicoff you are a bloody idiot. Most posting on Kiwiblog would be yelling bloody murder if National was trying the same shit. This is far more important then whoes party you believe in. Prehaps you should inform yourself a bit better before barking the party line. No doubt you are a product of our fine education system (tui ad) and I would guess history is not one of your strong points. Many people fought and died for the freedoms we enjoy in this country only to see the scum in power do as they wish. I dare you or any of the other noddys to run a referendrum on the issues at hand and see how many agree with you. This of course won’t happen, prehaps you should ask yourself why.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
“Couldn’t the Speaker have decided to crack down after Mallard and Benson-Pope started referring to Don Brash’s alleged affair in the House? That would have been a sensible time to crack down.”
Always remember, things are different when you are dealing with a woman. A man may well have followed this common sense rule of thumb but women are not creatures of common sense. For that reason alone their decisions are questionable at the best of times and down right bizzarre at the worst. As a result men have far better leadership qualties than women, and definitely in times of hardship and war we look for the ‘man’ who can lead us.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
And by the way on this subject,,
why do women ask you if their hair smells nice and if you smell it they say “Don’t smell it!”