Brendan Horan gets a new seat
This time he is an independent MP and has moved seats in the House.
Under-fire Tauranga list MP Brendan Horan was back in parliament today in a different seat.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters sacked the former TV weatherman from his party caucus last week and urged him to leave parliament.
Mr Peters says the full reasons for Mr Horan’s expulsion will come out in time and he admits the MP's phone records which show 144 calls to the TAB during his time as an MP made up part of the “decision-making process”.
“If he thinks he hasn’t done anything wrong, he obviously doesn’t understand the meaning of the word ‘wrong.’”
A defiant Mr Horan, wearing his trademark grin, turned up to question time this afternoon, arriving from his new office in the back blocks of the parliamentary complex – the library building.
“It’s great to be back at work. I’m sitting sort of at the back of the House – that’s where they put the independent MPs – the Chris Carter corner.”
He has been repositioned from his New Zealand First second front row seat to the back of the House.
He says he has not had a chance to consider the party board's decision to end his membership without giving him a right of reply.
He likened his situation to dumped Labour MP Chris Carter. But unlike Mr Carter, Mr Horan was not given a chance to defend himself.
Blair Cunningham
Tue, 11 Dec 2012
Tue, 11 Dec 2012
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
Brendan Horan gets a new seat
26178