Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
SPEAKER’S RULINGS
Parliamentary Standards—Inappropriate and Bullying Behaviour
SPEAKER: Members, in recent days there’s been considerable public comment and interest on parliamentary standards. There’s been considerable focus on the Speaker’s role in curbing inappropriate and bullying behaviour in Parliament, in the parliamentary complex, and on social media and other media. Sadly, this is not a new phenomenon.
In December of 2018, a previous Speaker commissioned Debbie Francis to investigate and report on such matters as it affected both MPs and parliamentary staff here in Parliament. The Francis report was presented in May of 2019. It contained a number of recommendations about how behaviours around Parliament might be improved. One of those recommendations was the appointment of a Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards. That appointment was made in August of 2022. Lyn Provost, a former Auditor-General, having been appointed to the role, took up the position in January of 2023. The Commissioner’s role is to receive and investigate complaints that assert contravention of acceptable parliamentary standards. The matters of public interest over recent days most certainly fall into that category.
Parties by majority deemed that the Office of the Commissioner for Standards should be established and that it was necessary. Despite the views of some, the Speaker is not and cannot be omnipresent, nor can all the cross House comment always be clearly heard from the Speaker’s Chair, particularly if the mike is open to a member speaking. The Speaker can adjudicate when a point of order is raised by a member at the time. However, the safe ground of the Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards provides members and staff with a less time sensitive opportunity to raise matters which reflect poorly on the culture of this House.
As at 2 p.m. today, the Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards has not received any formal complaints or reports on any matters relating to standards of behaviour in the parliamentary complex since her appointment.
Since becoming Speaker, I’ve taken a view that members should be trusted to behave in an appropriate way and participate in a manner that reflects the choice of voters to send them to this House. That was perhaps too hopeful a position. While free speech is important, any comment that touches on personal reflection, either individually or collectively, is not acceptable. Presiding officers will be much more vigilant as we move forward, and I encourage members to work with the Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards where appropriate.
