On Tuesday Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard issued two-year Parliamentary trespass notices to three former MPs for visiting protesters who were occupying Parliament grounds earlier this year.
Among those trespassed was former deputy prime minister Winston Peters, whose trespass notice was on Wednesday withdrawn, along with four others.
Former Speaker of the House Sir David Carter told Q+A's Jack Tame Mallard's issuing of trespass notices was "bizarre".
"If people have been here protesting peacefully, they've got every right to do so. If they broke the law, then serve trespass notices on those people perhaps.
"But somebody like Winston Peters, a former deputy prime minister, who just happened to visit the protesters, for him to be issued with a trespass notice was just nonsense.
Mallard is a Labour MP as well as being the Speaker of the House.
Asked if Mallard's action was a political decision, Carter said: "I doubt that, I don't know but I suspect it's just Mr Mallard's character. He's a guy that was upset by that protest, it certainly did a lot of damage to the Parliamentary complex when it occurred and I think it was almost a vengeance attitude by Mr Mallard."
READ MORE: National has 'lost confidence' in Speaker over trespass notices
Tame asked Carter how he thinks Mallard has performed in his role, to which Carter said: "From my own experience I think the most important thing when you become speaker is to become Parliament's man, so you come from a political background that's our system, you've got to actually disconnect yourself from the political background, you've got to become Parliament's person.
"I don't feel Mr Mallard's ever done that, I don't think he's ever really attempted to do that, he appears to be still very much part of of the Government and therefore helping the Government in the House and that's not the Speaker's role."
Carter said his observation of Mallard in the House is that he was tough on the Opposition.
He's critical of the amount of times Mallard appears in the news.
"(It's) not a good thing in my opinion, I think a Speaker should not be in the media very often."
"Mr Mallard certainly has a very different style from all the Speakers that I had the privilege of serving under but there is no textbook, so if Mr Mallard wants to be involved in the media that's his decision."
READ MORE: Winston Peters' Parliament trespass notice withdrawn by Speaker
Winston Peters is calling for a vote of no confidence against the Speaker over the trespass notices. He's accused Mallard of being “out of control and power drunk”.
Several other politicians have weighed in on the matter, with Act Party Leader David Seymour telling Breakfast, "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."
Carter said: "At the end of the day, I think the Prime Minister is responsible ... she has to satisfy herself as to whether his performance as Speaker is actually servicing democracy properly."
READ MORE: Winston Peters seeking judicial review over Parliament trespass
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the matter is one for the Speaker, but has encouraged him to talk with others at Parliament about the process, especially when it applies to former MPs.
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