The new speaker of the New Zealand parliament has apologised for the actions of his predecessor who has just been appointed the country’s ambassador to Ireland.
Trevor Mallard, who has just stepped down as speaker, has been appointed by the New Zealand prime minister Jacinta Ardern to the post in Dublin.
His successor, Adrian Rurawhe, issued an apology to the former deputy prime minister Winston Peters over Covid-19 vaccine protests which took place on the grounds of the parliament buildings in February and March.
Mr Peters was among several high-profile people who were issued trespass notices by Mr Mallard for attending the 23-day occupation on Parliament’s grounds. It banned Mr Peters from the parliament for two years.
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A trespass order is a criminal offence handed out to those who are illegally trespassing on property.
In February Mr Mallard turned the sprinklers on those protesting against the Covid-19 vaccination mandates outside New Zealand’s parliament in Wellington. He also played loud music in a vain attempt to scatter them.
Mr Mallard was speaker at the time and withdrew the notices not long after they were issued, but Mr Peters said he would still seek a judicial review of the decision to trespass him.
Mr Rurawhe admitted to the High Court in New Zealand that the trespass order issued by his predecessor was “unreasonable and irrational”.
He also admitted that it was an “unjustified limitation on Mr Peters’ right to freedom of movement” and that he had not acted in any way which justified him being issued with the warning.
It is the latest controversy to surround a career politician who will take up the position of New Zealand ambassador to Ireland in January.
He has been embroiled in a number of incidents going back to 2002 when he told two International Rugby Board officials that he would insert beer bottles in “uncomfortable places” in a row over the co-hosting of the 2003 Rugby World Cup. In 2007 he apologised after punching an opposition MP outside the debating chamber.
In 2020 he was blamed for spending NZ$572,000 (€357,300) on a children’s playground in the grounds of the New Zealand parliament, including NZ$243,000 (€151,800) on a slide. The playground was budgeted at $400,000 (€250,000). Mr Mallard has sought to make the New Zealand parliament more family friendly and to encourage female MPs to bring their children into the chamber if they need feeding.
Last year, he apologised for falsely accusing a parliamentary staff member of rape leaving taxpayers to pay damages and legal fees of NZ$330,000 (€208,000) after the staff member took a case against him.
The leader of the opposition in New Zealand Christopher Luxon, who is tipped to be the next prime minister, refused to be drawn on whether or not he would recall Mr Mallard from the ambassador post.
He described Mr Mallard as a “parliamentary scrapper” and the question of removal was “hypothetical” and would not be a priority for him.
“Diplomacy and tact are not the skills I think that come anywhere near to mind when I think of Trevor Mallard,” he suggested.
“Ultimately it’s a decision for the prime minister as to whether he is the appropriate choice for the ambassador to Ireland or not.”
Mr Mallard has not commented on his appointment yet, but he has posted a picture on his Facebook page of him meeting President Michael D Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin in June.
Mr Mallard’s successor said Mr Mallard had done much good as speaker especially in making the parliament a more family-friendly place.
