Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi has been suspended from Parliament for 24 hours after he appeared to refer to suppressed court proceedings last week.
MPs agreed to suspend Waititi, on a voice vote, after comments the party co-leader made in the House under parliamentary privilege last Thursday.
Speaker Adrian Rurawhe deemed the comments were "grossly disorderly" conduct today.
He said: "The words Mr Waititi used in the House indicate that he believed the matter concerned was subject to a suppression order, and yet he raised it without first notifying the Speaker.
Speaker Adrian Rurawhe spoke about the issue today following Waititi’s comments in the House last week. (Source: 1News)
"Parliament’s relationship with the courts is of utmost constitutional importance. Reckless use of the freedom of speech enjoyed by the House damages that relationship and undermines the standing of this Parliament and the privileges upon which it depends.
"I consider that, in his comments, Mr Waititi’s conduct was grossly disorderly. Therefore, I name Rawiri Waititi and call on the House to judge his conduct."
A "general question of privilege" over the incident has been referred to Parliament's Privileges Committee, though Waititi himself has not been. The MP is not inside the debating chamber today.
Rurawhe said: "I will refer a general question of privilege to the Privileges Committee, asking it to consider how the House should deal with cases such as this, where a member may have made reference to a matter in breach of a suppression order, but investigating it would be inconsistent with the order, if one exists."
On Thursday, Te Pāti Māori's co-leader posed a question in the House that appeared to refer to suppressed court proceedings.
Waititi did so while under the protection of parliamentary privilege — a form of legal immunity MPs receive while speaking in Parliament's chamber.
At the time, Rurawhe said Waititi's comments were "not appropriate".
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