Sneers, jeers, naughty chairs
National MP Nicola Willis was booted from the House yesterday amid a testy start to the week at Parliament, as MPs sneered and jeered at one another even more than usual.
The Government’s ‘‘failure to deliver’’ on promised mental care services, the ‘‘legitimate use’’ of utes, and the planned cycle bridge for Auckland were all issues that spurred MPs on during Question Time yesterday afternoon.
At one point, Transport Minister Michael Wood made a snide remark about National MP Chris Luxon’s former job at Air NZ, and was then made to apologise for saying Luxon showed ‘‘incredible immaturity’’.
The tone was set early on by ACT leader David Seymour, who congratulated Speaker Trevor Mallard for becoming ‘‘Father of the House’’ after the longest-serving MP, National Party’s Nick Smith, resigned last week. Mallard made a quip about Seymour being a ‘‘grandson’’.
‘‘All right, granddad!,’’ Seymour said, to raucous laughter.
Seymour asked Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern about her comments that Toyota would be bringing electric utes into the country – the company denies this – and a claim she made that a ‘‘large number’’ of people buying utes were not ‘‘using them for the legitimate use’’.
‘‘I stand by the point I was making, even though I will absolutely say that I think I could’ve been clearer in the way I made it,’’ Ardern responded.
Willis was kicked out for interjecting when her colleague, Matt Doocey, asked Health Minister Andrew Little why only 0.2 per cent of $235 million allocated for mental health facilities in Budget 2019 had been spent.
When Doocey asked why the Ministry of Health could not provide the amount spent to media, the day prior – Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson leapt to Little’s defence, challenging Doocey’s ‘‘phrasing’’.
Willis yelled out. Mallard made her apologise.
Robertson again: ‘‘Doocey’s provided us with some information which may or may not be correct – we can’t see that.’’
‘‘Ah,’’ Willis bellowed. Robertson called her ‘‘a repeat offender’’.
Mallard ejected her from the House. She stood at her seat saying, ‘‘Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker,’’ but her microphone had been switched off.
Luxon had more success questioning the transport minister on the cycle bridge. But not before Wood could take a swing at Luxon’s former incarnation.
Wood spoke about the Government’s work to ‘‘keep trade channels open’’ through Covid-19.
‘‘Government support has enabled more than 7000 flights carrying over 136,000 tonnes of air freight, helping our economic recovery, and I can confirm there were no weapons for the Saudis on any of those flights,’’ he said.
He was referring to Air NZ’s $3m contract for two engines for the Saudi Navy, approved during Luxon’s tenure but cancelled in February after negative publicity.
Luxon asked how a cycle bridge in Auckland would help tradies stuck in traffic, and get the elderly to their appointments on time.
‘‘The member, for an intelligent member, in his question displays an incredible immaturity in terms of how transport policy . . .,’’ Wood said, before being cut off by Mallard.