Gerry Brownlee: Speaker of the House stands by decision to back Assistant Speaker Maureen Pugh - Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Opposition parties are calling on Assistant Speaker Maureen Pugh to apologise for interrupting a rangatira in Parliament. 

Pugh faced backlash after she told Te Kahautu Maxwell to stop his brief speech ahead of the planned waiata.

Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee says permission was given for a waiata - but not a karakia.

"We can scramble round all the stuff all we like, but Maureen Pugh did what was right, according to the standing order."

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