Joking Seymour tells Speaker he hopes 'you don't trespass me'

May 3, 2022

ACT leader David Seymour exchanged light-hearted banter in Parliament with Speaker Trevor Mallard, as the latter started handing out trespass notices over the Wellington occupation.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and former National MP Matt King are among high-profile people to say they have been banned from Parliament's grounds for two years for attending the protest.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the matter is one for the Speaker, but has encouraged him to talk with others at Parliament about the process, especially when it applies to former MPs.

During a question time exchange, Seymour quipped he hoped "you don't trespass me".

As some MPs groaned at the gag, Mallard laughed and said, "the Member does know my rights within here are pretty much absolute".

Seymour said that was not correct and Mallard had to follow the Standing Order rules "like all of us".

Mallard said that was "absolutely right", but added he was responsible for deciding what was disorderly, and grossly disorderly.

"Which includes members which have been deliberately being disorderly, as the member was."

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