Bridges kicked out
Opposition leader Simon Bridges was yesterday kicked out of the House after suggesting the Speaker was protecting the Prime Minister.
His expulsion resulted in the mass walkout of other National MPs. During Question Time, National leader Simon Bridges was asking Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern questions relating to the case of jailed drug smuggler Karel Sroubek.
He asked if she had entirely washed her hands of anything to do with the Sroubek fiasco, and if she was ducking and diving to get out of his way.
Speaker Trevor Mallard then rose and before he spoke, Bridges said off-microphone ‘‘here comes the protection’’.
Mallard then told him to leave the House and after Shadow Leader of the House Gerry Brownlee asked if Bridges had ‘‘touched a nerve’’ the Speaker asked him to leave too.
As Bridges left, Nick Smith said loudly ‘‘talk about bullying!’’ – referring to the Speaker commissioned review of bullying behaviour at Parliament.
This prompted a full walkout of all other National MPs, save for the handful who had questions to ask. After his expulsion, Bridges doubled down on his accusation the Speaker was protecting the prime minister from scrutiny.
‘‘I was trying to ask the prime minister serious questions about the Sroubek fiasco. She wouldn’t answer and the Speaker leaped to protect her – I called him on it.
‘‘I said: here comes the protection,’’ Bridges admitted.
Criticising the Speaker in such a way is a fairly serious breach of the parliamentary rulebook. Bridges said he was unsure whether there would be a privileges complaint.
Mallard said he had been reflecting on the supplementary question when he rose and it was out of order on at least two counts.