Hunt Jonathan: Immigration Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Hunt Jonathan: Immigration Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:611;Page:8213] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I say quite clearly to the Rt Hon Winston Peters that he is wrong in just about everything he has said. This is a decision that was taken at the Business Committee and referred to me for my consideration and I have made a decision. The decision is that the third call goes to the Government or that the Government can nominate someone to speak on its behalf when he or she is supporting the Government. The Government did that in this case and it has an absolute right to do so. This list now is the list that will pertain for first second and third reading debates. That is it. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Let me submit that you are wrong on all counts. The fact that you have relied on the so-called Business Committee which may conspire against one party in this country provides no sanctuary or haven from which you can make that argument out. That is the first thing. The second thing is that Mr Dunne is not a part of the Government; every New Zealander knows that. So for you to say that the Government has the right to arrange the non-Government speakers is demonstrably wrong. The third thing I want to say is simply this. I want the kind of precedent I have seen in Europe followed here. Where a party is not a part of the Government—and the antecedents in Europe in terms of MMP are far longer than this country has ever had—then it does not get the precedence that Mr Dunne has assumed. I will not settle for a convenient arrangement because it happens to be what certain parties want. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There is somebody using a flash above me to take photographs. That person will immediately remove himself from the gallery and I want to see the person concerned. That is not allowed in this House at all. No one has sought my permission to do that. I apologise to the member but I had to interrupt him because that occurred not once but about seven or eight times. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I did not arrange that. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I realise that. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I just say that I think the photographer does not know what the rules are. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Well he does now. He will not be doing that again in a hurry. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Well using that as a precedent I say that is a longstanding rule from which we have never deviated. Now I want to say that the same thing should apply in respect of the speaking order under MMP. It cannot be that on some days a certain thing happens and on other days it does not happen. Either the people of this country decided the precedence accorded to the parties or they did not. I just find it an absolute affront to have to sit here and have Mr Dunne who is not a part of this Government being given privileges by members of the Government. I understand the Government to be the Labour Party and Mr Anderton’s Progressive conservatives and that is it. This is a minority Government—[ 
Interruption 
] A Minister laughs but this is known to be a minority Government because it does not have the United Future party’s support in the way that is being made out in this argument. I say that I want this matter to be reconsidered because we find it to be a matter of grave unfairness in so far as the New Zealand First Party is concerned.