National's Paula Bennett has accused Labour's Willie Jackson of launching a "racist taunt" in the House, and accused him of labelling her "not Māori enough".
It began on Wednesday during general debate, when Employment Minister Willie Jackson was telling National leader Simon Bridges Māori MPs in Labour would "support him... even though the National Party won't".
Mr Jackson went on to say he understood "most of the Māori in the National Party are useless", aside from the outgoing Nuk Korako, Shane Reti and Harete Hipango.
"Paula Bennett, she doesn't know if she's a Māori, some days she does and some days she doesn't. Dan Bidois, he needs to go back to Italy, and Jo Hayes, Jo wouldn't have a clue."
That evening, Ms Bennett labelled Mr Jackson's speech as a "racist taunt, that I am 'not Māori enough'".
"Tell that to the thousands of urban Māori who like me are proud Māori."
It continued yesterday, when Ms Bennett asked Mr Jackson during Question Time: "Does he respect Māori participating in Mana in Mahi regardless of their background or skin colour, or, as he ascertained yesterday in this House, whether or not he thinks they're Māori on that day or not?"
Mr Jackson said he had "total respect for Māori" and added that he respected Ms Bennett "and any other Māori".
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters added to the questioning: "What happens when your discovery of whakapapa Māori is rather like Columbus' discovery of America, purely by accident?"
Ms Bennett continued to question Mr Jackson on his comments from Wednesday.
"Do the Māori in the Mana in Mahi programme need a Māori-sounding surname to participate, or will he be telling people with names like the name Bidois that they should go back to Italy?"
Mr Jackson told her "these types of silly questions are not necessary" and that "a general debate is a general debate, so get over it".
"Does he expect then, men in the Mana in Mahi programme to tell women, like he did yesterday, that they are useless while they're working?" Ms Bennett asked.
"I take offence at that," Mr Jackson said. "I just said that some of the Māori MPs in National were useless, like that member," in reference to Ms Bennett.
Last night Mr Jackson tweeted: "Fancy Paula calling me a bully, the person who has bullied more beneficiaries than anyone I know, betrayed Huri Dennis at Te Puea, called Winston an old man and now she’s so so sensitive... Get a life Paula."
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