MP irate at forcible eviction
Veteran National MP Nick Smith was forced to leave the House under escort — the first time such an event has occurred in decades.
Smith — who had already been removed from the House during question time for arguing with the Speaker — was escorted out of the debating chamber on Thursday night by the Serjeant-at-Arms.
He did not physically resist but, as he was removed from the House, yelled: “What sort of
Nazi establishment is running the place?”
It is understood he was the first MP the Serjeant-at-Arms has removed since Robert Muldoon.
Late Thursday night, while Parliament was sitting under urgency, Labour MP Michael Wood raised a point of order, saying Smith was not allowed in the House, having been kicked out earlier in the day by Speaker Trevor Mallard.
Deputy Speaker Labour MP Adrian Rurawhe asked Smith to leave but the National MP refused. “When you send us to prison, we’re told how long [we’re there] for,” Smith complained.
Smith said it was unfair that Mallard had not specified when he could return. He said he was only trying to defend his colleague Nikki Kaye from attacks by Winston Peters.
But Rurawhe was not moved by Smith’s defence and called for the Serjeant-at-Arms to remove the unruly MP.
Wood was not impressed by Smith’s behaviour. “We know that he is feeling under pressure in his seat of Nelson this year, but staggering about in the dead of night, ranting about Nazis and having to be forcibly removed from the chamber is not the way to behave as an MP.” Wood said Smith’s behaviour was unlikely to endear him to local voters, who want an MP focused on representing them.