Brigitte Morten: Political Commentator on the postponement of the Te Pati Māori suspension recommendations

Postponement of the Privileges Committee recommendations in Parliament gives National a chance to take the moral high ground. 

The debate of the suspension recommendations for those who did a haka during the Treaty Principles Bill's vote last year was adjoined after 20 minutes. 

The Leader of the House Chris Bishop moved the vote until June 5th, to leave this week free for the Budget.  

Political commentator Brigitte Morten told Ryan Bridge National clearly showed they know how to use the rules of Parliament. 

She says they've therefore been able to take the high ground and let the Te Pati Māori MPs be there for the Budget. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Political master stroke. Was it from National yesterday to adjourn
the debate, to move the privileges debate to the June
the fifth focus goes back on the budget for Budget week,
the hype and the steam goes out of the issue.
Or are they risk to doing this? Bridget Morton, political
commentator with me this morning. Bridget good morning, Good morning.
The multi party described this as psychological warfare. What do
you reckon?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
I think it's just actually knowing the standing orders and
knowing how to use parliament and clearly National did that
yesterday and they're also able to therefore take the moral hyground.
They're actually about to say this allowed those two parting
Maori mp to be there for the budget and actually
that that's one of the most important things that needs
to happen in the parliamentary calendar, and they're going to

(00:41):
be there to have their vote in their name.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
And yet Chris Hipkins and Labor voted against it. How
does it make them look? Well?

Speaker 2 (00:49):
I think for them they were in a tricky position
because they don't agree with the extent of the punishment
being handed out and they do think. Hipkins did give
a powerful speech in the House today just about the
extent of the punishment, But it was clear from National
jumping up that Hopkins had not anticipated that this might happen,

(01:10):
and I suspect perhaps that that actually had more time
to contemplate it. They may have actually agreed with the
government and had that delay.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
Is Hopkins and I might be going out on and
this might be a long bow. But you know, he's
arguing because he wants to go from twenty one days
down to one day. That's a like ninety five percent
reduction in sentence. You know, does he risk playing into
that soft on crime thing?

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Well, I don't think it's necessarily soft in crime, but
it does make him look like he's not willing to
stand up to Party Maori, and at the moment, should
they want to be back in government, they would need
to Party Maori as a coalition partner. And it doesn't
necessarily demonstrate that he would be a strong leader if
he's willing for that kind of behavior, which was egregious

(01:57):
as happened in Parliament during the Treaty Principal Buill debate
to happen without any significant pushback, and one day is
a very small punishment for what they did.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
Yeah, I agree, but also Act went a little bit
far asking about in terms of imprisonment.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yes, absolutely, I think that was frankly just a bit silly.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, totally silly, in a waste of everyone's time. Bridget,
thank you very much. We'll probably talk to you after
the budget. Bridget Morton, political commentator.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
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