Hauraki-Waikato MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke at centre of laptop squabble

Hauraki-Waikato MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke found herself at the centre of a storm when MPs became fixated over the stickers on her laptop in Parliament on Wednesday.

A battle of words broke out when she stood to address the House on the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill.

National MP James Meager called a point of order, telling the house Maipi-Clarke had political party logos on the back of her laptop, "and that's not allowed on the surface of the table in the house".

Chairperson Greg O'Connor agreed, and Maipi-Clarke covered her laptop before the house launched into a slanging match, and Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi removing the paper covering her laptop.

As Maipi-Clarke continued to speak, ACT MP Cameron Luxton interjected, saying there had been a ruling earlier by O'Connor that political displays of party branding shouldn't be allowed in the house, and there had been a move to cover it up.

Chairperson Teanau Tuiono agreed and asked Maipi-Clarke to again cover her laptop.

Labour MP Duncan Webb then stood.

"Speaking to the point of order, the member who has just stood up has a lapel pin on with the ACT Party on it - yet another political slogan."

Webb said he could barely see what was on Maipi-Clarke's laptop.

He was asked what the stickers on her laptop said.

"Oh, 'Te Pāti Māori' and 'Honour Te Tiriti'. If the opposition was so fearful of those things, I can see why they might not want to face up to them, but it's hardly an affront to this committee for that member to speak from her laptop with those things on it. I find it absolutely appalling that these members are trying to intervene and interrupt her as she speaks."

Maipi-Clarke said the three stickers she had on her laptop were "because I'm probably the only Gen Z in this whole Parliament".

"I've actually seen many, many different stickers and logos throughout this whole time I've been in Parliament on this computer.

"This is the first time I've ever seen that I've been point of ordered."

Tuiono said: "Just for consistency with the committee and consistency with the previous ruling of the chair that just vacated the chair, he did stipulate that you could cover it up.

"So, just for consistency's sake in this case, where was the thing that was there that covered it up last time?"

Waititi then asked the chairperson to show him in the standing orders "that the stuff on this computer is offensive".

"We've got somebody who's wearing an ACT lapel at the back there. We've had many others who wear those particular pins. Can you show me in the standing orders where this is not allowed? Show me?"

Minister of Police and Corrections Mark Mitchell then called for a point of order before Tuiono interjected saying he wanted to deal with the point of order.

"What I want to do is uphold the ruling of the previous chair, which is in line with speakers' rulings and standing orders; that ruling was already made. It is important for us to have consistency in the chamber. My understanding of that ruling was, in this case, to cover that up. If you do want to take another point of order in terms of other political displays in the chamber, I'm happy to do so. But I think, in terms of the consistency with the previous chair, it's important that we have that consistency in the chamber."

Waititi said he wanted the chairperson to clarify the ruling so that it could be understood.

"But the thing is, it just says the word Māori on it; It doesn't say anything more than that. So if it said Te Pāti Māori, I would agree; it just says Māori. So if you could let me know how this aligns with standing orders, that would be much appreciated."

Mitchell then called a point of order as Tuiono asked him to wait so he could deal with the matter.

"Well, I might be able to help you with the ruling," Mitchell said.

Tuiono asked Mitchell to sit and then ruled that boxes in party colours with labels be left in benches and not put on top.

"What would restore decorum in the chamber is my understanding, is that if I can't see it, then that's fine as well. If you'd just push it forward a little bit, we can keep going."

Mitchell then called a point of order.

"I am ruling on this; please, just move that forward now. If you want to take another point of order ... on other aspects, fine to do so. Is this about a new point of order?" Tuiono replied.

"Well, no; it's a point of order that I've called and that should be taken," Mitchell said.

"Is this a new point of order, though?" Tuiono said.

Mitchell said: "No; it's a point of order in relation to the ruling that you're making. I just want to make it very clear, Mr chair, no one on this side at all ..."

"I'm sorry; this ruling has been made, please sit down," Tuiono replied.

Mitchell continued to speak, saying no one was offended.

Again, Tuiono asked him to sit down.

Again, Mitchell spoke, saying it was former speaker Trevor Mallard who had made the ruling.

"I have made the ruling, you must be seated, unless you are taking a new point of order," Tuiono said.

Mitchell again called a point of order, saying there had been allegations made towards parties on his side of the chamber by the opposition parties to say that they were somehow offended by what was on the computer.

"That's not the case at all; quite simply, it was the case that the speaker Trevor Mallard ruled that we can't have - and it was a ruling against the National Party and Labour, because we used to have our party signatures on our tables."

Again, Tuiono said it was not a point of order and told Mitchell to be seated. He then asked Maipi-Clarke to continue.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer then called a point of order saying: "I am aware that we have had a member of the ACT Party stand up and speak two or three times to this point of order, and he is currently wearing an ACT badge on his lapel.

"I'd like to ask that that is put up. That is something that can be seen not only by the chair but also on the camera. That is something that we ask that the chair make a ruling on and ask for it to be removed. On that note, we are also offended by the blue suits that are in this chamber because we believe that those blue suits are indicative of a blue party."

Labour List MP Glen Bennett then said he wanted to clarify, in being cautious, that he was wearing a political symbol.

"I actually have a rainbow pin on me; should I remove this, or would you like me to leave it on? I just want to clarify that for the committee."

Tuiono said: "No, this is trifling. That is not a political logo. My understanding is that if I can't see the political logo, then this ruling doesn't apply. I have progressive glasses and they don't go that far back. So we are fine?"

He then asked Maipi-Clarke if she wished to continue.

Labour MP Kieran McAnulty then yelled to Mitchell: "Come on, Mark, try a point of order now. Maybe you'll get one right for a change. Go on, mate. Seven years, you haven't got one right."

Maipi-Clarke again continued before Mitchell called a point of order, again being asked by Tuiono if it was a new point of order.

"Yes, it is, a new point of order. It is Mr chair. I've just had the senior whip, or the shadow Leader of the House, just ask me to take a point of order to clarify what we're talking about. Quite simply the clarifier is this: the speaker Trevor Mallard made a ruling in this house that parties were not to display party logos. We have no problem with that at all. I'm completely relaxed with that. I just wanted to clarify, for this shadow Leader of the House who asked me, that was the ruling by the Speaker Trevor Mallard."

Tuiono invited Mitchell to maybe step out into the hallway and seek that clarification face-to-face.

McAnulty then called a point of order, saying he was concerned the committee had lost decorum.

McAnulty and Mitchell continued to haggle as Tuiono finally lost his patience.

"Order! I'm on my feet now. If members want to seek clarifications from each other, the hallway - the hallway. Now, we are moving on."

- This story was originally published by the New Zealand Herald.