Speaker Lockwood Smith might be a long-standing National MP but no one could accuse him of doing his old pals any favours in the House.The Speaker of the House traditionally comes from the party with the most seats, albeit with support from other parties.
Speaker Lockwood Smith might be a long-standing National MP but no one could accuse him of doing his old pals any favours in the House.
The Speaker of the House traditionally comes from the party with the most seats, albeit with support from other parties.
They have also traditionally been noticeably more lenient to their ministers, and harder on the opposition.
Not so Dr Smith.
Among his rulings today were that Acting Prime Minister Bill English was "dumping" on Labour and that Government MPs should not clap when a minister answered a "patsy" -- a question asked by their own MPs to allow a minister to make an announcement or impart something they perceive as good news.
Mr English was being questioned by Labour leader Phil Goff on the Government's claim it was reducing the wage gap with Australia when he first ran foul of Dr Smith today.
Explaining why a taskforce -- which included former National leader Don Brash -- had concluded the income gap between the two countries had not narrowed in the past year, Mr English blamed the previous Labour government for economic mismanagement "which left this economy in a mess", and the global recession.
But it was when he tried to reply to a question from Mr Goff with an unrelated answer about Dr Brash that Dr Smith had had enough.
"I say to the minister that I have let him get away with an earlier answer that claimed that certain policies were the policies of the Opposition, then dumping on them," Dr Smith said.
The charade continued until Dr Smith intervened again, telling Mr English he should not "rabbit on".
"I have been pretty generous to the minister, and have allowed him to get away with a lot of comments about the Opposition's policies. The Opposition has now asked a very straight question ... he should answer the question."
Dr Smith later lined up the whole National Party for rebuke when members broke into rowdy applause when associate Health Minister Jonathan Coleman answered a patsy on neurosurgical services for the South Island.
The news, apparently, wasn't as good as they thought it was.
"... if members want a little more order in the House, then applauding answers to patsy questions is not a great look," he said.
Leader of the House Gerry Brownlee took offence: "I say that nor is it a good look for the Speaker to have a go at the Government over the types of questions it poses to its ministers."
Dr Smith: "Forgive me, but it is a tradition in this House that questions from the governing party have often been referred to as patsy questions.
"All I am pointing out is that it is not a great look to be applauding the answers to them. When ministers give great answers to tough questions, there is nothing wrong with applauding. But it is not a great look, because it adds to disorder in this House."
But Mr Brownlee refused to bow to Dr Smith's ruling, saying Government MPs had as much right to ask questions of ministers as other MPs did.
"The Speaker referring to them as patsy questions is no less offensive than the use of the terms 'Tory' or 'screaming lefty'."
Dr Smith was suitably chastened: "I accept the rebuke."
