The Deputy Prime Minister should apologise to the public servant he named and blamed for something they did not do, and for misusing the rules of Parliament.

“Parliament has standards, and Winston Peters fell well short of those,” Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said.

“The Speaker has today ruled that the Deputy Prime Minister’s use of a personal statement misused the rules of the House.

“Yesterday, the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had to apologise for again bringing a public servant into the debate, despite that person having done nothing wrong. Christopher Luxon should be ashamed of the position he has taken on this.

“Winston Peters has no evidence of wrongdoing, because there isn’t any. The person he has accused of wrongdoing cannot speak back, is part of a politically neutral public service and has declared the conflict of interest.

“Winston Peters should personally apologise to them, and to the House,” Chris Hipkins said.

Notes: transcript from Hansard of the PM’s apology to the House yesterday.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Mr Speaker, last year the Prime Minister objected to the fact that he himself brought a member of his own family into the debate, and you required me to withdraw and apologise for the Prime Minister doing that. We've now got a situation where, repeatedly, the Government have named a public servant who happens to be related to a member of the Opposition in the House—a public servant who cannot speak back, a public servant who is part of a politically neutral Public Service, a public servant who declared their conflict of interest and has done absolutely nothing wrong. As you required me to, the Prime Minister should be required to withdraw and apologise for that. We had a situation in the House before the recess where the point of order process and personal explanation process was abused by the Deputy Prime Minister. I don't think you should allow the Prime Minister to continue with that.

SPEAKER: The Prime Minister might like to consider whether he withdraws that particular remark.

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I don't consider I named anybody.

SPEAKER: No, the inference.

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I withdraw and apologise.

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