The Prime Minister continues to have confidence in Speaker Trevor Mallard and has taken a jab at those "taking potshots with no confidence statements".
One of those calling for Mallard to be removed is Jacinda Ardern's former deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, who on Thursday claimed she was "complicit" in keeping the Speaker "in a position that is morally untenable".
Mallard on Wednesday announced five trespass notices sent to former MPs, including Peters and former National MP Matt King, were being withdrawn after controversy erupted over the decision.
Notices were sent out to recognisable people who attended the anti-vaccine mandate protest at Parliament earlier this year. Peters attended briefly one day in February, while King was there on two occasions. Throughout the occupation, the Speaker, police and MPs called for the rally to be disbanded.
Peters wants Mallard to face a vote of no confidence in Parliament, taking issue with the suggestion in a statement from the Speaker that those previously trespassed "were originally considered likely to 'seriously offend or incite others to' and to be a 'risk to the safety and security of Parliament'."
Ardern on Thursday said she continued to have confidence in Mallard.
"Yes, I do. The experience that Parliament has had has been unprecedented and obviously there are issues in the aftermath of the occupation at Parliament to work through," she said.
"All parliamentary parties have a role to play in supporting that work, sharing their views, and ultimately coming to an outcome where we try to prevent it occuring in the future."
Ardern didn't answer whether she thought Mallard had made a mistake, but said the Speaker has since worked through two issues.
"Basically, do you treat all present in the same way or how do you also make sure the response is proportionate. You can see he has taken action to try and ensure it has been proportionate."
She also took a jab at those calling for the Speaker to be removed.
"What I would rather see is as political parties, us coming together in the aftermath of the occupation at Parliament to work through the solutions for the future to ensure we don't have an issue like that again rather than taking potshots with no confidence statements," Ardern said.
"I have been around Parliament and politics for a long time. I cannot name a time when Opposition parties haven't had a go at the Speaker."
ACT leader David Seymour told AM Early it was time for Mallard to "move on", while National's shadow leader of the House, Chris Bishop, said the party has lost confidence in him. National has long wanted Mallard gone, proposing no-confidence motions before.
Tweeting on Thursday, Peters said Ardern and her Labour majority in Parliament were "complicit in maintaining the Speaker in a position that is morally untenable". Labour has a majority of seats in the House and has resisted previous moves by others to force Mallard out.
"The position of Speaker should be honourable, impartial, and parliament’s person. What we have seen over the past couple of years is a slow-moving decay and degradation of that position," Peters said.
"Parliament is the heart of our democracy and the Speaker’s charge is to maintain its integrity. The moment that effectiveness is questioned, let alone multiple times, by MPs and the public, the confidence of our country’s democracy is shaken."
He said the Prime Minister and Labour shouldn't "continue to defend the indefensible actions of a speaker who has lost New Zealand’s confidence".
Mallard has faced scrutiny before as Speaker, including over comments he made about a parliamentary staffer and his decision to use sprinklers and loud music against protesters in February.
More than 100 people were arrested during that occupation in February and March. Demonstrators camped on Parliament's front lawn and surrounding streets until police descended, causing a massive riot.
Mallard said of 151 trespass notices issued in relation to the protest at Parliament earlier this year, 144 were for people arrested during the occupation. Seven were issued to "persons of interest", and five of those have been withdrawn.
He said he had been working with police and parliamentary security to assess threats to Parliament. The withdrawals came after MPs met to discuss the issue on Tuesday.
"A meeting last night of the Parliamentary Service Commission established a general consensus that former Members of Parliament should be treated on the same basis as other members of the public," Mallard said.
“Having dealt with that issue, the question then is what is a proportionate response in light of the time since the occupation and serious criminal offending.
"The behaviour of some individuals was clearly more egregious than others, and on that basis it has been relatively easy to identify those persons issued with trespass notices who no longer are regarded as being a risk to the safety and security of others at Parliament."
