Winston Peters has hit the ground running, sticking up for the coalition Government on his first day in Parliament as Acting Prime Minister, and calling out National MP Nick Smith for a "poppycock type of shout" during Question Time.
The New Zealand First leader took the reins this morning as Prime Minister Jacinda entered Auckland City Hospital to give birth to her first child, leaving the country waiting with baited breath for news of the birth.
National Party deputy leader Paula Bennett asked Mr Peters if he has confidence in his Minister of Justice Andrew Little when he said in the House last week he defined a prison officer who was grabbed on the buttock, squeezed quite hard and then followed and intimidated by the prisoner as suffering "a pinch on the bottom".
Mr Peters began his answer, then said, "I'll answer the question if you'll just give me a chance to Mr Smith, not make that poppycock type of shout that you do every day in this House to every question".
What Nick Smith had said wasn't audible on Parliament TV.
"Can I say I have confidence in a Minister of Justice who understands the gradations in levels of sexual offending, and he expressed one. What would the member do?" Mr Peters continued, directing the question to Dr Smith.
Ms Bennett then asked Mr Peters, "Does he consider a woman grabbed in the workplace for a prolonged period of time and followed and intimidated to be the victim of an indecent assault?"
Mr Peters replied: "Depending on the facts and not the hypotheticals, and if the facts were proven, that would be a sexual assault, yes."
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