Gerry Brownlee MP National Party Deputy Leader

26 July 2006

Speaker's decision on Field astonishing

National Party Deputy Leader Gerry Brownlee is astonished at the decision by Parliament's Speaker Margaret Wilson not to refer the Taito Phillip Field case to the Privileges Committee.

"Helen Clark tied the hands of the inquiry. She is sitting on her own hands because of a craven and unscrupulous desire to cling to power at any cost.

"This reflects poorly on all MPs. Labour has made a mockery of the process and, by doing so, they are compromising the integrity of Parliament.

"Today's ruling by the Speaker restricts the jurisdiction of the Privilege process narrowly to the operation of parliamentary procedures.

"Outside those formal procedures - the parliamentary questions process or select committees - Margaret Wilson has effectively ruled that anything goes.

"What does it take to get an MP referred to the Privileges Committee? If the Field case isn't strong enough, what will be?"

ENDS

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