Shane Jones: NZ First MP says the standards for Parliament are slipping, and there should be harsher penalties for misbehaviour in the House

Shane Jones says Parliament's standards are slipping.  

The New Zealand First MP and David Seymour have both asked Speaker Gerry Brownlee to consider changes in light of Te Pati Māori's haka in the House last week.  

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke was 'named', suspended for a day, and had her pay docked for a day.  

Jones told Mike Hosking the penalties have historically worked, but we live in a world of Tik Tok now. 

He says we live in a world where, as a consequence of Jacinda Ardern and Trevor Mallard, the rules have been inverted. 

“I mean, what the hell’s happening to New Zealand?” 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Suppose the parliamentary circus we saw last week, the callers
come out standing and will do something about standing orders
and whether they adequately deal with a set of circumstances
that clearly were not envisaged in more moderate times. Shane
Jones raised the matter with the Speaker and he's with us.
Very good morning to you. Well Flix, I happen to
be watching it. Did Jerry brownly take offense that you'll
suggest in in the sense I am taking it seriously?

(00:21):
Do you believe he's taking it seriously and can do
something substantial?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Oh, he's a very senior parliamentarian. He's exasperated. Look, we've
got a situation where the Maori Party are really political vacrants.
They turn up when they want to. They don't believe
the rules of regulations, the duties of being parliamentarians apply
to them. They've got that young fellow from the South
Island who's currently before the Privileges Committee. I forget the

(00:48):
boy's name. I mean he turns up in Parliament with
a beanie made out of feathers. Look, these standards are
completely being trashed, but they believe that because they're possessed
of a new moral superior indigenous culture that the rest
of us will maldi or non maldi in parliament a
stale pale mail and they're going to lead us to
the new Nirvana. I got news for them. They're going

(01:09):
to be hauled off to the Privileges Committee.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
Yeah, well see here's the problem. So you've got two things.
You're talking standing orders and you've got privileges, privileges for
last week. Will they do you think, actually do anything?
And if they do, what will it be? And do
the Maori Party give a toss?

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Well, I wrote the letter and it's up to Jerry
to give them an opportunity for a couple of days.
But look, what's the point of coming to Parliament as
a little party? And they sort of addressed as scarecrows?
How can I take that serious? How can you Zealand
fill their money, their taxpayer money which got a fortune
to're in Parliament? And if the Standing Orders Committee can

(01:46):
meet sooner rather than later and come up with some
new penalties, some new censures, so that these people realize
that no Parliament belongs to the people and you don't
speak for the people, you speak for a time minority.
Those who turned out yesterday at tohkoi. They're all going
home to pay their bills and the theater's over now
and get back and look after their kids and join

(02:07):
the rest of the repress. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
Problem for the standing orders, what do you do? What
is the penalty?

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Well, the penalties have historically work, but we don't live
in a world of TikTok now. We live in the
world as a consequence of Jasinda and Mallard where rules
have been inverted. You can wear I think I saw
someone come one day and then jendles into Parliament. Of
course you've got the Greens dress them as hamess loving
kind of shawl outfit. I mean, not the hell's happening

(02:34):
in New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
I tend to agree with you. But the problem is
they're not employees and you can't sack them, and when
they dance on the floor of Parliament and we're appalled,
as you were quite right to point out, and your
herald piece the other day. The standing orders can't sack them.
They can't put them in jail, they can't book them
out of the house. They're stuck, aren't they.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yes, Well, sadly in the old days, if you are
continually violated the underlying Prince of Parliament. You're thrown in
the dungeon, and sadly those days have gone, although I
was looking across fover Straight the other day trying to
find a suitable place for those malcontents. But look, let's
trust in the judgment of these of the senior MPs
that are on these standing orders. They are able of

(03:17):
coming up with new rules and new laws that have
a genuinely deterring, deterrent like effect upon them. But look
at the people you're talking to. I really want toy
very rarely ever comes to Parliament and it's hard to
recognize them under that enormous hat, a cowboy hat, by
the way, which he wears. Debbie comes festooned with feathers

(03:37):
and sort of Scapo like accoutrements. And how can you
take that? Serious?

Speaker 1 (03:41):
Bruf Good to talk to you, Shane Jones and your
first MP. Behind all of that is, in fact, of
course a serious point. And if you didn't read this
piece in the Herald, you should because one of the
best points you made was Middle New Zealand has been
appalled to what's happened to this country in the last
week or so. And I think he's spot On.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
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