Points of Order — Signage in the Chamber—Labour Party

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I notice that the members of the entire Labour caucus appear to have on the front of their boxes a slogan promoting a union. I understand that such slogans should be limited to party identification and that slogans or logos promoting a particular cause are not permitted in the House.

I must say that I am not at all happy with what is on display on those desks. I believe that it is not treating the House with the dignity that it deserves, and I ask members to remove them before the end of question time.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. On previous occasions you have signalled your view about logos being displayed on boxes in the House, and in the Business Committee, for example, it has been discussed and you have asked parties to reflect on it. The parties came back to you, Mr Speaker, and said that it was not a position that parties agreed with. If you look around the Chamber you will see that, in fact, the bench mate of the member who raised the point of order has turned his own box so that we can all see he has brought a slogan and a logo to the House, as well. Apparently that is in order. The members of the party next to him have done the same thing. The National Party itself started it. It does not do it now but it could easily start doing it again. [Interruption]

💬 Mr SPEAKER: A point of order is being heard and will be heard in silence.

That is the position that we reached: it was in order to have representations on House boxes.

💬 David Garrett: Speaking to the point of order—

I do not need to hear further on the matter. I make it very clear to the honourable member that when the Business Committee has discussed this matter in the past it agreed that party logos may be displayed in this House. I have made it very clear to the Business Committee that I do not support that position. I believe that it is demeaning to this Parliament. This is a House of Representatives for New Zealand. I believe that even party logos being displayed in this House is demeaning. But what is displayed on the Labour Party benches today is, to me, totally unacceptable. I repeat that I want them removed before the end of question time. I will be taking the matter up further with the honourable member to see what will be done about it, because I do not consider that to be an acceptable way to treat this Parliament.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. When someone is elected as the Speaker of this House, that person goes to the Governor-General and asks for three privileges. One of those privileges is free speech. I ask you to reflect on your ruling in respect of the privilege of free speech that we have as members of Parliament. If you are to require people to take certain words off their boxes, then you should explain to us how that requirement is consistent with our privilege of free speech as members of Parliament.

I hear the honourable member. When I was educated there was a difference between words displayed like that and speech. The privilege of free speech means that the member is perfectly entitled to speak freely in this Parliament, but I make it very clear that signs that demean this Parliament will not be displayed while I am the Speaker. I will not take further time on this matter right now. The Business Committee previously made it very clear that the only signs that could be displayed in this House were the party logos, so I expect these signs to be taken down. That is the end of the matter.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: I warn the honourable member that I will not be trifled with.

I am not trifling with you, Mr Speaker, but I think you have just made clear in your ruling that these signs are to be taken away because you do not like them, because you consider them to be demeaning. It is my view that we have to be very, very careful when someone takes an opinion that is very different from that of a large group of members of Parliament, saying that—

The member is disputing my ruling. He will resume his seat immediately. Other Speakers have ruled in the past that such signs cannot be displayed in this House. I am not departing from what previous Speakers have ruled, and that is the end of the matter. I look around these walls and see the names of the battles where people died so that we New Zealanders might enjoy freedom of speech in this House, and I will ensure that this House is treated with respect while I am the Speaker. That is the end of the matter.

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: What about the rights of the minorities?

I ask the member who has disputed my ruling to stand, withdraw, and apologise for that right now.

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: I apologise.

I asked the member to withdraw and apologise, the Hon—

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: I withdraw as well.

I ask the Hon Trevor Mallard to stop trifling with the Chair, and to get to his feet now and withdraw and apologise.

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: I withdraw and apologise.

I thank the honourable member.