Hide Rodney: Points of Order — Rodney Hide—Alleged Comment 
Hide Rodney: Points of Order — Rodney Hide—Alleged Comment 
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RODNEY HIDE (ACT) 
: 
 I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. First I must check whether you have received a breach of privilege complaint against me from the Government whip Mr David Benson-Pope. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: If I had received it you would have received it immediately. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: Thank you. Last week I was accused in this House of making an appalling racial epithet. As you recall Mr Speaker you were in the House and I denied using any unparliamentary language. You accepted my word and we proceeded on. I was not aware of what I had been accused of saying until I was rung by a journalist who said that Mr David Benson-Pope had made the claim in the House. I of course vigorously denied that I had made any such remark. I was then rung by the Christchurch  
Press 
 on Friday and told that a complaint of breach of privilege was being taken against me by Mr Benson-Pope who had said that he was very determined and that nothing would stop him from taking a complaint of breach of privilege. 
There has been only one MP who has ever used that racial epithet in this House and it is the chief Government whip. I have this morning had the benefit of listening to the Radio New Zealand digital tape of the interjection. What I said was “Don’t be negative.” That is what I called out. I have to say to you Mr Speaker that the Government whip is guilty of a very serious series of offences. The first one is that he has brought this Parliament into disrepute by suggesting that MPs would use such a racial slur in Parliament. That is bringing the House into disrepute and could be reported around the world. The second thing is that it is an outrage to repeat the allegation outside this House after the speaker’s word has been accepted and to try to get some media coverage out of it as a political stunt by suggesting that there is a breach of privilege at stake. I was rung—you know the convention Mr Speaker—[ 
Interruption 
] I have not finished. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I want the member to come very quickly to the point. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: I am coming to the point. The convention when one makes a complaint of breach of privilege is to write to the Speaker as soon as possible. I knew nothing of that complaint until I heard about it through the media. I now know that David Benson-Pope not only was not telling the truth in his statement about my racial epithet he was also not telling the truth when he said he would lay a complaint of breach of privilege. I do not have any confidence in the Government whip he clearly does not have confidence in you Mr Speaker and I suggest to you that the Government whip be asked to apologise not to me but to this House and to you for suggesting that a New Zealand MP would stoop to making such a vile allegation. It was a false allegation it was a lie and it was repeated outside the House. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That last sentence in which the member said that another member had told a lie will be withdrawn and apologised for. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: I withdraw and apologise and I look forward to the Government whip doing the same.