Winston Peters Apologises For Calling Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris A 'Dickhead' In The House
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has apologised for calling Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris a "dickhead" in the House, but is questioning whether the word is offensive.
The Speaker will review the incident, and report back to the House on Thursday.
Peters was answering questions from Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson on behalf of the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones.
"Does he think it's hypocritical that last year Aotearoa pledged $16 million to the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, yet this year we've had the largest coral by-catch event in 15 years, dredging up to six tonnes of ancient coral from the sea floor?" Davidson asked.
"No such pledge was made by any such country as named by that questioner," Peters responded.
Peters has repeatedly bristled at other MPs referring to the country as Aotearoa. The Speaker, however, is no longer hearing points of order over the use of the word.
"Are you sure?" asked Ferris.
"Yes, I am positive. Unlike you, you dickhead," Peters responded.
The comment could be heard on the hot mic, and has been recorded in Hansard, the official record of things said in the House.
Ferris later raised a point of order.
"I've witnessed many times in this House disparaging comments being made between sides, and I'm quite sure that being called a 'dickhead' would fall in line with that tikanga of the House," he said.
The Speaker said he had not heard the allegation until Ferris brought it up, and encouraged Peters to withdraw and apologise.
Peters initially refused to apologise, arguing that Ferris had not raised the matter of offence. Ferris said he had taken personal offence, so Peters apologised.
"On the basis that when I was trying to get my thoughts together on the answer to Marama Davidson's questions, he was interrupting me. I apologise for calling him what I said he was."
ACT leader David Seymour also raised a point of order regarding Ferris' Toitū Te Tiriti t-shirt, and whether the Speaker would reflect on his earlier ruling around political motifs and branding in the House.
In 2024, Gerry Brownlee banned ACT MPs from wearing party-branded pins in the debating chamber.
Brownlee told Seymour he would reflect on the matter.
As the matter was now in the hands of the Speaker, Peters would not answer questions about the incident on his way out of the House.
The New Zealand First leader is often critical about the language used by other MPs.
But in this case, he questioned whether the word he used was offensive.
"Is it bad language?" he asked reporters.
Peters instead said it was "wrong" that another MP was interfering with him being able to hear a question.
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