Jason Walls: Newstalk ZB political editor on Te Pāti Māori skipping their Privileges Committee meeting

Te Pāti Māori says it isn't sorry its MPs did a Haka in the house last year - and would do it again in a heartbeat. 

An MP has been called before the powerful Privileges Committee today, but the Party's snubbing the summons.

Te Pāti Māori says the Committee turned down its request to change the date so its counsel could be present. 

Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls explains further.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jason Wool's News talks of the political edient with us
out of Wellington. Hey, Jason, Oh, good afternoon.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Ryan.

Speaker 1 (00:05):
So TA Party Mahty currently fronting a press conference instead
of being at that Privileges committee. What are they saying?

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Indeed, it's all go down here. I've got one of
my reporters outside that Select Committee room waiting for Judith
Collins to come out. I got another one upstairs on
the black and white tiles at that press conference. And
here I am, as the grand coordinator of it all,
talking to you as well. So what do we know
so far? Well, I'll tell you what. I'll fill you
in on the latest with Tea Party, Marty's Rawdiwaitit and

(00:31):
Debbie Nardi were pakis still speaking to media. But this
little quote kind of sums up how TI Party Marty
feel about the Privileges Committee process.

Speaker 1 (00:40):
This is not about a silly little privileges committee and
the silly little rules.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
It's bigger than that, very condescending of the committee in
general and the severity of what's happening right now. Judith
Collins has recently spoke to media within the last twenty
minutes and said she's never seen anything like it in
her life. So to catch you up, TI Party Mahty
was supposed to be that select committee right now, but
they've basically boycotted it. They've vetoed it because they said

(01:04):
they've been denied a joint hearing. They weren't allowed an
expert in Ti Kangamadi to come and brief MPs. They
said there was scheduling conflicts, they wanted their senior Council
Chris Finleyson to be in there as well, and then
a number of other issues as well. So what are
they going to be doing instead, Well, here's what Debbie
Nadi Wapaka told media just moments ago.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
So we will hold an alternative independent hearing here at
Parliament on Wednesday, the Serant of May, and this was
the original date that we had been requesting, and we
will make sure that you're all aware of the details.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
So the details are coming in. We're waiting to see
what's going on. I can see the press conference is
just finished. But essentially what they're doing is they're circumventing
the Privileg's committee process and doing something by themselves that
they say is going to be independent. I know the
question that you have, does this have any teeth. The
answer is most likely no, you can't do something like this.

(02:00):
Privileges Committee is Privileges Committee for a specific reason because
it contains the high profile senior MP's tasked with dishing
out the discipline or recommending the discipline to the Speaker.
What they plan to do will have no bearing, it
will have no legitimacy in the eyes of Parliament. So essentially,
I mean Arawadi Wayktiti called what was happening in the

(02:20):
Privileges Committee a kangaroo court. I think it might be
more apt to describe what they've what they've unveiled later today.
So in terms of the hakka in the House, here's
what Arawati had to say about that.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
We know one thing, We're not sorry, would.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
We do it again? And a heartbeat because this is
who we are. But this doesn't mean the Privileges Committee
still won't make a ruling. So we're waiting for Judith
Collins to come out of that Select Committee hearing today
to find out what on earth is the next step here?

Speaker 1 (02:50):
So what time we're expecting her out?

Speaker 2 (02:53):
Well, that's the thing. Everything has been completely thrown out.
The committee hearing was supposed to be from four ten
to five four. We don't know if that's going to
be wrapping up sooner, so we're going to have somebody
that will be waiting to see what happens.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Now, we'll keep people updated then, Jason, thank you very
much for that. Jason Wall's News Talks, CBS Political Editor.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
News Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio