Points of Order — Access to Chamber—Media Obstruction

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I wish to raise a matter that I have raised before, to do with MPs’ access to the Chamber when the bell is being rung. The Associate Minister of Māori Affairs may not want to raise the matter but I found myself walking along the corridor at the same time she was, and I do not think any member should be subject to the scrum through which that member was trying to walk. Two members, I presume, of her staff had to ask camerapeople not to hold the cameras so close. In fact, they had to push camerapeople back so that a member of Parliament—because that is what a Minister is—could come to the House.

I think that you, as Speaker, have a duty to make sure that members of Parliament, especially when the bell is ringing, have free access to the Chamber. I came down to the Chamber early yesterday to look at Erskine May, and found the Leader of the House here. I asked him why he was here so early, and he said: “Otherwise, you can’t get through the scrum.” That is ridiculous. Any other Parliament in the world would not put up with it, and you should not allow it, either.

I say to Mr Prebble that this is one occasion when I completely agree with him, and I am making a decision right at this moment that from 1.45 p.m. onwards there will be no permission for the press to impede a member’s passage to the Chamber, and similarly from 7.15 p.m. onwards when the House is meeting at 7.30 p.m. The member’s point is valid. I have raised it with the chairman of the press gallery. He promised he would look at it; he obviously has not. So having tried the easy way, I am now going to have to do it the other way.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I accept that Mr Prebble has raised this issue as a genuine concern, but I would caution against the expression of an absolute ruling, right now. You have said that during a period of the day the media cannot get to a member of Parliament. More particularly, you are ruling that a Minister, who may be embattled for either political or personal reasons, cannot be questioned by the media during that period. Ministers may be able to sit in their offices, avoid public scrutiny of their portfolio areas by refusing to admit the media to their level of the building, and then still come down to the Chamber—where they cannot be got at by the media—during a period when the media are supposedly banned from the access ways to the Chamber. I think that that is an extreme position to take.

The member has made his point.

💬 Gerry Brownlee: Point of order—

No, I am not hearing any further comment on this matter; I am prepared to rule. I have ruled. I will, of course, consider what I have said. I will get the transcript. But, as far as I am concerned, until further notice, between 1.45 p.m. and 2 p.m. and between 7.15 p.m. and 7.30 p.m., I have to give approval for press to be present. I have been lax on that in the past. I have asked and, as recently as yesterday, I talked to the chairman of the press gallery. As far as I am concerned that is the end of the matter, at the moment.

💬 Ron Mark: Point of order—

I do not want to continue. This is just delaying. I have ruled on it.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Fully accepting your ruling, and noting that you finished that ruling by saying “at the moment”, I wonder whether you might consider—

💬 Mr SPEAKER: Yes, I will.

GERRY BROWNLEE:—that this is a matter most appropriately sent to the Standing Orders Committee for a broad consideration, so that all members might have a say in what the new regime is to be. In fact, the press gallery itself could make suggestions.

Anybody can make submissions to me at any time, but, as Speaker, this is my job and I do it in this way. I am entitled to do it, and I will.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Noting the comments made by Mr Brownlee, and noting that you will consider further, I ask you to consider this, also. In the incident Mr Prebble was describing, not only was the Minister herself being prevented from making good way to the House, but behind her were Mr Copeland, Mr Donnelly, Mr Jones, and myself, who were totally prevented from getting through. I ask you to consider, when you give such approval, that people pay attention to the fact that they are delaying other members of Parliament who have no part in that interview or in those processes, but who do have a right to get to the House on time.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: Thank you for that comment, which I agree with completely.

Foreshore and Seabed Legislation—Leave to Debate

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This is a different point of order and I would like some guidance from you. As you are no doubt aware, because everybody is, the Government has announced that it is going to table foreshore and seabed legislation tomorrow. Under our Standing Orders, as they are at the moment, that means the vote will not be held until after the Easter adjournment. At the moment, whether the Government has a majority is causing some concern to the market. I want to know whether it is open to me as a member, at the moment the bill is tabled, to seek leave for the matter to be debated and voted on immediately—as used to be the case when bills were introduced. Can I do that tomorrow?

💬 Mr SPEAKER: The member is entitled to seek leave at any time, as he knows.

I give notice that tomorrow I am going to do that.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: That is fair enough. The member knows he can do that. I am sure he is aware of the Standing Orders. There are only about four or five people in this Chamber who know a great deal about the Standing Orders, and he is one of them.