Face of the Day

David Seymour looks to have got off scot-free after trying to drive up the steps of Parliament, despite being told they did not have permission to do so.

After days of questioning about whether he would sanction the ACT Party leader, Parliament’s boss, Speaker Gerry Brownlee, on Thursday told MPs he had no power to do so.

On Tuesday, Regulations Minister Seymour got in a Land Rover and drove it onto the steps of Parliament House. He did so after the owner, who had permission to drive onto the precinct, told him they weren’t allowed to drive onto the steps.

Security told him to stop, yelling “get off, get off”, and then Seymour eventually stopped when the guard told him: “The Speaker has said no. Off. You are putting me in a position...”

Brownlee said the Standing Orders – which are the rules governing Parliament and empowering the Speaker – did not anticipate such an issue occurring.

However, Brownlee invited MPs to reconsider the Standing Orders, and convened a committee to met and discuss whether there should be specific rules prohibiting MPs’ [sic] – for instance – driving on Parliament’s steps. In this case, Brownlee said it was difficult to have an order to allow for “protection of privilege and prosecution of stupid”.

Stuff