Green Party co-leader Russel Norman wants an assurance from Speaker Lockwood Smith that important visitors to Parliament will be told about New Zealanders' right to peaceful protest.He also wants an assurance that New Zealand security services will remain
Green Party co-leader Russel Norman wants an assurance from Speaker Lockwood Smith that important visitors to Parliament will be told about New Zealanders' right to peaceful protest.
He also wants an assurance that New Zealand security services will remain in control of the precincts during future visits.
Dr Norman was involved in a scuffle on Friday when he waved a Tibetan flag on Parliament's forecourt as Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping arrived.
A member of the Chinese delegation tried to cover Dr Norman with an umbrella and he was pushed before having his flag pulled from his hands.
Dr Norman managed to retrieve it and loudly tell the Chinese delegation they could not suppress freedom of speech in New Zealand.
He complained to the police, who said there was not enough evidence to substantiate an allegation of assault.
Prime Minister John Key later apologised to the visiting delegation, and Foreign Minister Murray McCully said Dr Norman should not have caused offence by demonstrating outside Parliament.
Dr Norman today released a letter he has sent to the Speaker.
"My concern is that New Zealand security services were overwhelmed by the aggressive approach taken by some members of the Chinese delegation and therefore lost control of the parliamentary forecourt," he said in the letter.
"While it is legitimate that foreign envoys have their own security personnel accompanying them, on the parliamentary precinct it should be New Zealand security personnel who are in control of any situation that may arise."
Dr Norman said New Zealand security services should be in a position to handle any situation so that Parliament's grounds were a safe place for MPs to exercise their democratic rights.
After the incident, vice-president Xi avoided other outings and met Labour Party leader Phil Goff in a hotel rather than in Parliament.
He did not go to Victoria University to open the Confucius Institute and a ceremony was instead held at his hotel.
Dr Smith said earlier he would investigate the forecourt incident if Dr Norman laid a complaint about it.
