Jacinda Ardern calls David Seymour an 'arrogant prick' in Parliament

December 13, 2022

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has labelled David Seymour an "arrogant prick" after fielding a series of questions from the ACT leader in Parliament.

Ardern later apologised to Seymour for the comment.

Seymour confirmed Ardern had sent him a text saying "I apologise, it’s not something I should have said".

"And, she said, 'As my mum would say, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it'".

Seymour said he replied by thanking Ardern and wishing her a merry Christmas.

"It's all good as far as I'm concerned," he added.

“Some days I am a useless Māori, others days I am an arrogant prick. The apology we are really looking for is for New Zealanders worried about rising prices and ram raids."

Jacinda Ardern called the ACT leader an "arrogant prick"

During question time earlier on Tuesday, Seymour asked the Prime Minister about hate speech changes, inflation, school truancy, Local Government Minister Nanania Mahuta's performance around the three waters reforms and other Government policies.

Seymour then asked Ardern to give Parliament an example of her making a mistake, apologising for it properly and fixing it.

Ardern said the Government had acknowledged areas they haven't been perfect in in the past.

As Ardern sat back down in her seat after answering the question, the microphone on her desk picked up her comments - seemingly about Seymour - to seat mate Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson: "Such an arrogant prick."

Seymour later asked Speaker Adrian Rurawhe to tell Ardern to withdraw her comment and apologise.

"The Prime Minister made an exceedingly un-Parliamentary remark," he said.

Rurawhe wouldn't immediately allow it, saying he had to look back at Parliament's official record Hansard.

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