Shirley Supports Ban On Committee Abuser

Wednesday 15 Sep 2004

Ken Shirley - Press Releases - Treaty of Waitangi & Maori Affairs

ACT New Zealand representative on the Select Committee hearing the Foreshore and Seabed Bill Ken Shirley to supported the actions of Chairman Russell Fairbrother in invoking a trespass order and effectively banning submitter H T Rikihana from the Select Committee hearing held at the Cotswold Hotel in Christchurch today.

"Mr Rikihana embarked on a sustained verbal abuse of the Select Committee and members both individually and collectively.

"He consistently defied the Chairman's invitation to restrain himself and modify his behaviour. Committee members were offended at being called `mongrels' and worse.

"The great irony was Mr Rikihana's assertion of the Committee's cultural insensitivity when he grossly offended the culture of Parliament by his sustained abuse," Mr Shirley said.

ENDS

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