Judith Collins: Privileges Committee Chair on the suspensions of Te Pati Māori

• Judith Collins calls for “civility” in Parliament after suspending three MPs and attacks on female MPs.
• Collins praised Act MP Brooke van Velden for standing up for herself after using the c-word.
• Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi face 21-day suspensions without pay.

Parliament Privileges Committee chair Judith Collins is calling for “civility” in the House after the decision to suspend three MPs without pay and attacks on female MPs.

Collins said she was proud of Act MP Brooke van Velden for “standing up for herself” yesterday when she stirred major controversy by using the c-word in the House while attacking Labour for not condemning a column that used the word “c***” against female ministers.

Yesterday, her committee’s decision was handed down to three Te Pāti Māori MPs after last year’s controversial haka.

The committee recommended 21-day suspensions for co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, saying they should be “severely censured”.

Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer face a heavy censure.

It also recommended a seven-day suspension for MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke.

Collins told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking this morning the suspension also meant the MPs would go without pay during this time.

She confirmed the suspension would be carried out consecutively.

Collins said the committee had been “collegial” through the six-month-long process and only butted heads in the end when it came to handing down the penalties.

“Even [the Green Party and the Labour Party] are differing from each other.

“It’s a very severe penalty compared to what has been awarded in the past, it’s not only a suspension from the House, it’s a suspension of salary.

“But then, we haven’t seen that level of behaviour before.”

She said the committee’s decision would be tabled today before it was voted for on Tuesday. She said she expected it to pass.

On Brooke van Velden’s use of the c-bomb in the House yesterday, Collins said she was proud of the Act MP for standing up for herself and the other women in the House being attacked.

“I would say to Brooke, that I wouldn’t have used the word myself but I did feel that she did stand up for herself and all the rest of us and I am waiting for someone of the left persuasion… one MP, just one, to come out and say it’s not okay to attack someone just because you are not okay with what they do."

She called reading the language in the column, which was written by Andrea Vance and published in the Sunday Star-Times, one of the “lowest points” in Parliament she has seen in her 23 years of service.

“That and what happened on the 14th of November in Parliament.

“It’s just the sort of behaviour towards each other that is despicable.”

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Privileges Committee got there on the end, Murray Party co
leaders packron Ytt is suspended for twenty one days as
Mighty Clark gets seven. They've been suspended under the notion
of contempt of the House. Judith Collins is of course
the Privileges Committee chair and as well, it's a very
good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Oh good morning mine.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Wheels turn a bit slowly in this, Judith or not.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Well, it's been a long process, Mike, and I'd say
that the Committee has undertaking every opportunity we can to
engage meaningfully with the three members of Parliament and we've given,
as I said, every opportunity, but eventually we've got their
towards determination.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Is it Are you allowed to talk about what happens
in the Privileges Committee? I mean we're universal in your view?
Do you go along party lines? Do you fight your
throw sandwhich is what happens.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Well over the six months it's been very collegial and
people have been working really hard across the committee to
try and come to consensus. But of course the factors
is that some people are going to see things differently.
But there's obviously near the end where it came down
to penalties. That's where there's a disagreement in particular, although

(01:11):
as you see from the reports from the differing views
of Labor Agreeens and to Party Mari even they are
differing from each other.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Okay, So just to bring everyone up to speed, who
doesn't follow the Privilegeous Committee. First of all, it's sitting
days or just days.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
It's days. Well, that's so the suspension, well, no suspension
carries with it a lack of salary for twenty one days.
It's actually a very severe penalty compared to what else
has been awarded in the past. So suspension is not
only from the House, it's suspension from salary. So that's

(01:50):
actually quite we haven't had that for that period of
time before. But then, as I say, we've never seen
that level of behavior before either.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
I'll come to that time in a moment. The vote
it needs to be voted on. Would you expect it
to be confirmed vote wise, well.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
I expect it will be confirmed on Tuesday for the vote,
but look, hopefully some other parties will come across. But
I think it's it's very much clear that the MP's
on the Privilegous Committee. The National Act and New Zealand
first MPs felt this was a reasonable position, and given everything,

(02:30):
I really do think it was a reasonable position to
come to.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Are they contry it in any way given the way
they behaved. I mean, if this is supposed to be
some sort of deterrent, I don't see it. I mean,
these people are lawen to themselves, aren't they.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
I think that's a de terrent for many people. But
the main thing is it's about that day and what happened.
We found some level of contrition from as Mighty Clark,
the least experience of the MPs, but only from the
point she had apologized to the speaker herself for the next day,
so that was something. And I think, you know, we

(03:03):
also learned from her media comments that there was quite
a level of premeditation, which of course did not help
the case.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
I'm watching you yesterday, Judith and Brooken. What's become of us?
The hell is going on?

Speaker 2 (03:20):
But you know, there's a lack of civility now and
it's not acceptable and I feel that, you know, the
comments of the print journalist in the Sunday Star Times
this last Sunday was one of the lowest points I
think I've seen in twenty three years that and what
happened on the fourteenth of November and Parliament. It's just

(03:44):
the sort of behavior towards each other that is despicable.
So I'd say to Brook, you know, I wouldn't use
the word myself, but I did feel that she at
least stood up for herself and for all the rest
of us. And I am waiting for someone of the
left persuasion in our parliament, one MP, just one to

(04:06):
come out and say it's not okay to attack people
just because you don't agree with what they do.

Speaker 1 (04:13):
Couldn't agreement, that's one, all right, talk to you, Judith Collins,
privileges head and esteemed Member of the House. For more
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