MPs’ jobs are tough. But probably the toughest regular hour for any MP is presiding over all the other MPs during a rambunctious Question Time. It’s akin to a relieving teacher managing a class of manic, grandstanding, fourth-formers on a wet, windy Friday afternoon when everyone just wants to be somewhere else.
Gerry Brownlee has been settling into the role of Speaker of Parliament and finding his rhythm. Every Speaker’s approach is different and Brownlee tends towards hands-off, often commenting after questions and answers play out, rather than intervening.
Scenes from Parliament on Commission Opening Day 2023 Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
Brownlee does however intervene once a dodgy question becomes a dodgy tactic. This week that was patsy questions from the Government side, plainly arranged as opportunities to attack the opposition (a no-no).
A New Ruling
The week began with the Speaker making a rare set-piece ruling, attempting to reign in another bugbear, the use of Points of Order to make out-of-order points.
“Members—this may be helpful for the member—a number of members have raised with me the issue of too frequent a use of the point of order process to raise trivial points of order. In future, when a member raises a point of order, I expect them to indicate the rule or practice of the House that they think has been breached. Raising a point of order without doing so will be considered disorderly. Of course, members may continue to use points of order to draw my attention to their wish to exercise a right given by Standing Orders, such as to seek leave, to make a personal explanation, or to move a motion.”
Points of Order serve many purposes, but most often draw the Speaker’s attention to a possible breach of the rules. They are an essential part of the mechanism, but are often misused and can get petty, irrelevant, disruptive, or can forget to mention the rule at issue.
Winston Peters during the first debate of the 54th Parliament. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
Doffing kid gloves
As the Speaker intimated there have been complaints. In the House those complaints have particularly been about the Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters.
He has a reputation for using a pointed point of order to make a sharp point. In this Parliament that reputation hasn’t been much added to.
Interpolations from Peters into the flow of debate have been frequent, but less pointed and (as MPs have noted), more often ‘out of order’ than ‘point of order’.
Last week the Speaker acknowledged the House wanted him to doff his kid gloves.
“The House has made it very clear to me that I must now no longer indulge (on the basis of his seniority in this House), the Right Honourable Winston Peters, and I won’t.”
Tuesday’s new ruling was presumably part of him being seen to act on that promise.
National MP Barbara Kuriger in the House Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
Fresh meat in the bear pit
As I said earlier, presiding over Question Time is a tough gig, but over time Speakers get used to it and assert control over the bear pit.
Very occasionally (maybe once a Parliament), a Deputy Speaker gets thrown into the pit as well for Question Time. Traditionally, though all presiding officers take turns in the House the Speaker alone always manages Question Time, the General Debate.
So a first outing into Question Time can be tough.
The previous Speaker, Adrian Rurawhe’s first outings (when he was Deputy Speaker) were a bit bruising, and another former Speaker, Anne Tolley, was well rattled when she took the chair for Question Time on one of her final days, and it was her own party colleagues who were most boisterous.
Last Thursday Deputy Speaker Barbara Kuriger had her first crack. It can’t have been easy - the House gets especially feisty when there is a new face in the chair. Metaphors spring to mind about sharks with blood in the water, or wolves and injured prey.
Kuriger maintained order pretty well, yet it was no easy ride. I counted 38 points of order across just 12 questions. But she gained confidence over the period and by the end even pulled off a classic ‘Trevor Mallard’ move - getting in early enough to call a question out of order before it had quite been completed, despite having to overmatch a louding Nicola Willis.
Gerry Brownlee doesn’t always lean into that approach. As I noted, he can let question and answer play out before noting they were dodgy.
I wonder whether, as a former classroom teacher, he is enjoying the show and wants to see what entertainingly bonkers naughtiness the metaphorical fourth-formers will come up with next.
