Labour's Kieran McAnulty has been ejected from Parliament's debating chamber after "trifling" with the Speaker over his refusal to sanction Winston Peters after the NZ First leader's "racist" remarks about a Green MP.
The confrontation came after Brownlee delivered a ruling this morning on Peters' remarks yesterday, in which Peters questioned MP Teanau Tuiono's right to ask a question, referring to him as someone "who came from Rarotonga".
Tuiono was born in Auckland and has Māori and Cook Islands Māori heritage. Opposition leader Chris Hipkins yesterday accused Peters of "pure racism".
Brownlee's ruling today affirmed that all MPs are equally entitled to participate in Parliament, and that questioning a member's rights and privileges was "highly disorderly".
However, he declined to require Peters to withdraw and apologise, citing the fact that he had not heard the comment at the time it was made.
McAnulty pushed back repeatedly, arguing Brownlee was applying different standards.
When he later raised a point of order in the middle of debate questioning why he and his colleagues faced ejection for "trifling with the chair" while Peters faced no consequences for his remarks, Brownlee responded simply: "The member will leave the House."
The Labour MP had earlier argued Brownlee had committed to reviewing the Hansard and acting on what he found.
"Failing to require Winston Peters to withdraw and apologise for something that was quite clearly an offensive comment, when you have required that of other members — indeed, other party leaders — runs the risk of you applying different standards," he said.
Labour MP Willie Jackson also pressed Brownlee to require Peters to withdraw and apologise, telling the House he remained "personally offended" by the comments.
"What we heard yesterday was one of the worst things I think we've ever heard in the House," Jackson said.
Brownlee maintained his ruling stood and was final, telling the House: "I have ruled, and that is the end of the matter."
Following McAnulty's ejection, he said the Opposition's challenge to his ruling was itself out of order.
"Here's the deal – I ruled on something today, this side of the House challenged that significantly. Everyone knows that's not what's supposed to happen.
"During that exchange, when a question had started, there was a lot of conversation from this House being led by one member in particular – I pointed it out.
"Everyone knows that's not the way the House functions, and somehow that's exercising a double standard?"
The original exchange
The row began yesterday during question time, when Tuiono was asking minister Scott Simpson about Pacific climate aid, and referred to New Zealand by the alternative name of Aotearoa.
Peters interjected with a query of his own, asking why Simpson was answering a question "from someone who comes from Rarotonga to a country called New Zealand".
He went on to suggest Tuiono had unilaterally sought to change New Zealand's name to Aotearoa.
Brownlee, who said he had not fully heard the initial question at the time due to noise in the chamber, shut Peters down before he could complete it.
"That's not an acceptable question at all," he said.
Hipkins raised a point of order with the Speaker.
"All members in this House are equal. For a member of the House to stand up and question whether someone’s entitled to ask a question because of their country of origin is pure racism and you should have stopped him at the beginning."
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