Labour MPs caught swearing in heated hearing
By Giles Dexter of RNZ
Minister for Regulation David Seymour has denied regulatory reviews carried out by the ministry have been for anyone's political benefit, in a tense select committee hearing at Parliament in which two Labour MPs had to apologise for swearing.
Seymour appeared before the Finance and Expenditure Committee as part of Scrutiny Week, to face questions on the budget for the Ministry of Regulation.
So far, the ministry has carried out reviews into the early childhood education, agricultural and horticultural products, and hairdressing sectors.
A fourth review into telecommunications has also been announced.
Labour MP Duncan Webb questioned Seymour over whether he or the Act Party had any connections to donors or lobbyists in those sectors, who would stand to benefit from the reviews.
"There's a real concern that it looks like there's an appearance of regulatory reviews being chosen to benefit parties connected politically," Webb said.
"How can we have confidence that the decisions are not politically influenced, and are made entirely on the basis of where [the] best wins and values for New Zealanders are."
Seymour accused Webb of being improper with his questioning.
"The idea that we decided to do a review of the early childhood sector because someone may or may not, I'm not even sure, have donated to the ActParty a long time ago is frankly fatuous," he said.
"My main interaction with the dairy industry is probably through a flat white."
Ministry chief executive Gráinne Moss said the review into agricultural and horticultural products was suggested by the ministry itself, to the minister.
Webb said the minister should have no part to play in deciding what sectors to review. 'For f***'s sake' - MPs caught swearing
The session got off to a tense start, after Labour's Deborah Russell was heard saying "for f***'s sake" during Seymour's opening remarks.
National's Ryan Hamilton raised it as a point of order. While committee chair Cameron Brewer was fine to carry on, Seymour made Russell repeat herself.
She then withdrew her comment and apologised.
Later on, Webb accused Seymour of "making s*** up" regarding the ministry's work on flour dust standards.
Seymour also bristled at Labour MP Megan Woods interrupting Moss while she gave an answer, and threatened that Act would release a video of the Labour MPs' behaviour.
After the hearing, Seymour said he was "astonished" by the swearing.
"The amount of swearing from Labour MPs, I've never seen that before. Clearly, they're very angry about something, but they were just a rabble. Their various accusations were completely untrue. And really, you have to wonder if these guys are taking it seriously."
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