Speaker’s Statements — Privileges of the House and Speaker’s Actions

Honourable members, on Thursday a demonstration was held in Parliament grounds. During the course of that demonstration Shane Ardern drove a tractor some way up the steps of Parliament. He eventually stopped and retreated when challenged by a senior member of the security staff.

Later that day I met with Mr Ardern and expressed my strong displeasure at his actions. I indicated that I expected an apology from him and that the Parliamentary Service would be sending him the bill for the cost of cleaning up the debris left by the tractor. Subsequently, Mr Ardern sent me the following letter: “As discussed with you earlier today, I write to apologise for my actions, during the farmer protest march to Parliament, in driving a tractor onto the lower section of the Parliamentary steps. No offence was intended and I regret any inconvenience that was caused.”

I indicated to Mr Ardern that the question of a possible prosecution for any offences committed by his driving of the tractor in the way that he did was a matter that was solely in the hands of the police. I have not influenced, and do not intend to influence, their decision on this in any way.

New Zealand’s Parliament is the most accessible and open in the developed world. I am sure we all hope that it can remain that way.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I want to raise this matter with you as I know that you review the way in which issues such as this are handled, not just by those directly involved but also by yourself.

I attended the meeting with Mr Ardern in your office on Thursday, during which you stated you would require an apology from Mr Ardern and that you would read it to the House—as you have done today. I note also, however, that you commented in the media, preceding the reading of the apology to the House. That action of yours is in sharp contrast with the way you handled the breach of the law by Mr Duynhoven, when you stayed silent for several days. Indeed, you stayed silent long enough for the Government to ensure the law was changed, thereby denying any report to the House from yourself on Mr Duynhoven’s breach. I say that fairness in the role of Speaker is something you have to be the sole judge of, but others also look to you to be seen to be fair.

With regard to the way these two cases have been handled, I hope you will take some time to reflect on your role in both of them, so we can be assured that those looking on from the outside will see that you are functioning in a fair way to both members.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: I thank the member for his comments.

I too am a little concerned about the statements you have been making to the media, especially in light of today’s Dominion Post, in which we see a Labour Minister in a previous Labour Government driving a tractor up the steps of Parliament. That action did not result in the Speaker at the time saying that Mr Tizard was going to be prosecuted, or in sending him a bill for the rubbish caused by a tractor being driven up the steps. [Interruption

💬 Mr SPEAKER: The member interjecting has had the only warning I am giving today. There will be no comment during a point of order—none at all.

I do not claim to have a great deal of knowledge on tractors, but I have driven them. I watched the member driving the tractor, and he clearly showed he knew what he was doing. The suggestion that he was causing a risk to anyone, is not so, and the assessment that he “retreated down the steps”, as you put it, would not be correct, either. He stopped and then reversed the tractor. I realise there are implications in a protest of this sort, but I think it is a matter that a Speaker should be very careful about getting involved in, because we have to take note that this protest was the first we have had under this Government—we may have many more—and it was coming from rural New Zealand, which feels that this Government is out of touch. That was the point being made. The member is one of two members of Parliament who are working farmers. By his action, he was sending the House a very strong sign of what will happen if we have laws on flatulence taxes, and the like, passed through this House.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: Let me just say that I have had approaches from, and have observed, about 30 or 40 demonstrations, and I have allowed all of them. They have all been required to keep within the rules. I want to make it perfectly clear that when I was approached by Federated Farmers, I negotiated with them, and I respect them for keeping strictly to the rules. Of course I will take note of the members’ comments, and I will review the matter when I am reviewing the whole of this incident that has taken place over the past few days.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I stood on the steps of Parliament last week when that tractor was driven up them. I did not see any debris left behind by that tractor, at all. I am wondering whether you might be confused between cows and tractors.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: No, I am not.