Watch: Speaker Trevor Mallard barges through media, refuses to take questions over protest handling

The Speaker is stonewalling questions about trespassing people - including the former deputy Prime Minister - from Parliament.

He said it's not in the public interest because there are ongoing inquiries, but the Opposition disagrees.

Speaker Trevor Mallard was ducking questions on Wednesday, storming out of a Select Committee and through media.

"No comment," he repeated to reporters.

Mallard also refused to answer MPs' questions at the committee about the protest at Parliament and the trespass notices handed down afterwards.

"It's not in the public interest to go into things which are currently before the courts." 

He's back at Parliament this week fresh off his five-country European tour with backbench MPs. Among them was former National leader Judith Collins.

"I'm at a cheese factory in Poland," she said in an Instagram video. 

"Hello, nice cow - that's a Friesian, for you city people who don't know any better," she said in another. 

The group was not there just for the cheese and cows, but to help open free trade doors. Mallard said some of the conversations were described by New Zealand's representatives offshore as "invaluable". 

He was happy to answer questions about that, but ask him about trespassing people - like former deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters - from Parliament for visiting the protest and he wouldn't comment. 

The Opposition's not buying it.

"I can tell you there is immense public interest in what happened here at Parliament just a few short months ago," said National shadow leader of the House Chris Bishop. 

"The common denominator through all of Trevor Mallard's manoeuvres is that they protect Trevor, not any public interest," said ACT leader David Seymour. 

However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern again expressed confidence in Mallard as Speaker.