Speaker Gerry Brownlee has announced a crackdown on parliamentary standards following the disruption caused by MP Oriini Kaipara’s maiden speech, which ran overtime and was followed by an unsanctioned haka.
Brownlee, who temporarily suspended Parliament during the incident, said while haka and waiata were welcome, disrespect for procedure would not be tolerated. He outlined stricter enforcement of speaking limits, attendance, dress codes, and supplementary questions, saying MPs must uphold the dignity of the House. Brownlee called the disregard for time limits “contemptuous” and said some MPs appeared to prioritise performance over legislative work.
Get rid of the barstards grow some balls.
This hasn’t just suddenly happened
But the problem is the result of a long form of erosion of accepted norms
Which have manifested themselves and proliferated morphing into something between theater and trench warfare
Standards have been allowed to drop until we have arrived at the present volatile situation through protracted inaction and misreading what actions was required to rectify past failings soon enough
Brownlee’s response is defensive belated and symbolic of retreat not leadership
And a slow deliberate avoidance of confrontation in not dealing with matters sooner before they have regressed to this level
Brownlee’s response bears the hall marks of procrastination delayed until the ructions and disorder within the House became un ignorable
His crackdown came only after multiple symbolic breaches had already reshaped the chamber’s tone
A good example of the profanities being allowed to exist and be delivered through the House was Brooke van Velden’s reading of “c*nts” which was allowed to proceed without immediate censure despite its clear breach of decorum
Being a graphic glaring red flag example of a visible breakdowns in order
Brownlee needs to get His Own House in Order before he makes a request of others that they may do the same
I doubt Brownlee can salvage his credibility which whose position now stands fragile and exposed
A deer silhouetted in the headlights
And now carries a stigma
A very lack luster low performance revolving doors politician
In through the out door
Toys for the boys
Or was that out to pasture not gone as expected with complications?
Brownlee, you want us The People behave……YOU get those critters (I don’t know how these individuals even get into the halls of politics) adhere to decorum. We are forced by the courts to do that; these critters can do the same.
It’s time to revise these so-called “rules” and “standards” to reflect reality in today’s New Zealand. Long overdue to make parliament actually representative of the people..
No.
Rules and traditions exist for a reason and must be upheld if the society is to be maintained. “The people” should show some respect for those who came before and helped build and shape the country they live in today.
Behaving themselves and conducting their affairs like reasonable people in the country’s parliament (instead of descending into incoherent babbling, screaming and war dances) is NOT asking too much.
“Today’s New Zealand” may certainly not be tomorrow’s New Zealand. Politics is a fickle thing. Be careful of recklessly discarding rules and traditions just because you don’t like them, someday someone who hates you may be in charge and decide the rules don’t apply to them either.
Your rules and traditions simply expose your hypocrisy.
If you think “the people should show some respect for those who came before and helped build and shape the country they live in today” then what’s wrong with the haka in parliament?
Didn’t the maori arrive before the pakeha?
And didn’t the Maori cannibalize the real tangata whenua, those that were here before them?
They should publish the recipes
Yeah, and if it wasn’t for civilization coming to NZ they would still raid and eat each other.
How long have you been sitting in that chair Brownlee? Too little to late mate.
Sort out the clothing standards and make sure ALL MPs attend parliament 100% of the time. We are NOT a paying for them to be absent half the time.
Brownlee is an image
Images are easily shattered into shards
Just like with the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery
And as a reflection appears now to find himself haunted in the same predicament
Brownlee’s trajectory reflects a recurring arc: initial authority, procedural command, followed by symbolic exposure and fragmentation
Circus master brings the law down 😂. Totally inept bunch of career failures. Good luck (snigger)
Too little too late.
The good news is Jerry has not been going hungry