Nats' powhiri insult deserves apology - Greens

Two National Party MPs who walked out of a powhiri at the Youth Justice facility in Weymouth on Friday should apologise for the embarrassment they caused, the Green Party says.

Green Party MP Sue Bradford, who was also at the event at the Korowai Manaaki Youth Justice North centre in Manurewa, says the two MPs deliberately broke the kawa of the marae.

"It was a disgraceful episode, made worse so by the fact that some of the young offenders had spent days preparing a special haka for us, yet were then subjected to this deliberate affront. It was really sad."

The MPs, Judith Collins and Anne Tolley, were deservedly rebuked by the kaumatua at the end of the powhiri, Ms Bradford says.

"They claim to be standing up for women, but I doubt that is the case. If they really were interested in women's rights they would have stood up for Katherine Rich and Georgina te Heuheu when Don Brash dumped them, and would also do all they could to ensure that National Party policy did not discriminate against women.

"I believe they should apologise for the insult their actions created for the young people who had worked so hard to create a special welcome for the visiting MPs."

ENDS

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