National MP Chris Bishop says the Speaker of the House, Trevor Mallard, has lost National's confidence following the issue of trespass notices to politicians who visited the site of the protest at Parliament earlier this year.
The orders were issued this week to former Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, and six other people, including other politicians.
They were then withdrawn by Mallard on Wednesday.
"The problem with the Speaker’s actions is that he treated them all the same, put them all into the same basket, when I think most fair-minded New Zealanders would say that they’re clearly very different," Bishop told Breakfast.
Chris Bishop has described Trevor Mallard's handling of the issue "a disgrace". (Source: 1News)
"Unfortunately, I think, many people say Speaker Mallard has been a highly political Speaker and sadly the National Party has lost confidence in him."
The ACT Party, meanwhile, are over it.
"Frankly, this has been dealt with in Parliament," says David Seymour.
"Trevor Mallard’s just making it harder for us to have a functioning democracy, something that people around the world are fighting for in a very real way right now."
Mallard on Tuesday said he had delegated authority to parliamentary security to make decisions over the trespass notices, something allowed under Section 26 of the Parliamentary Services Act 2000.
Bishop has described this an "abdication of responsibility" and a "disgrace."
When asked if a change was needed of the wider systems that allow this to happen, Seymour had this to say.
"It’s not a case of changing the system, it’s getting somebody in the position who is a little bit more mature in the way they handle that power, which Trevor Mallard told us yesterday [Wednesday] is absolute."
The Speaker, meanwhile, has repeatedly refused to speak to TVNZ and other media outlets.
Breakfast also approached representatives of the Labour and Greens parties, but all declined to appear on the programme.
Winston Peters, who says he thought the notice was a prank at first, is now calling for a vote of no confidence in the Speaker.
It’s not the first time there have been calls to remove Mallard
Former National Party leader, Judith Collins, said last year he was “unfit” for the role after Mallard used his parliamentary privilege to accuse a man of sexual assault.
"Unfortunately, it’s just a history of over-reach," says Bishop.
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