WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand parliamentarian Chloe Swarbrick was ordered to leave parliament on Tuesday during a heated debate over the government’s response to Palestine.
An urgent debate was called after the centre-right government said on Monday it was weighing up its position on whether to recognise a Palestinian state.
Close ally Australia on Monday joined Canada, the UK and France in announcing it would recognise a Palestinian state at a U.N. conference in September.
Swarbrick, who is co-leader of the Green Party, said New Zealand was a “laggard” and an “outlier” and the lack of decision was appalling before calling on some government members to support a bill to “sanction Israel for its war crimes.” The bill was proposed by her party in March and is supported by all opposition parties.
“If we find six of 68 Government MPs with a spine, we can stand on the right side of history,” said Swarbrick.
Speaker Gerry Brownlee said that statement was “completely unacceptable” and she had to withdraw it and apologise. When she refused, Swarbrick was ordered to leave parliament.
Brownlee later clarified Swarbrick could return on Wednesday but if she still refused to apologise she would again be removed from parliament.
New Zealand has said it will make a decision in September about whether it would recognise Palestine as a state.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters told parliament that over the next month the government would gather information and talk to partners, which would inform cabinet’s decision.
“We’ll be weighing this decision carefully rather than rushing to judgement,” Peters said.
Along with the Green Party, opposition parties Labour and Te Pati Maori support recognition of a Palestinian state.
Labour parliamentarian Peeni Henare said New Zealand had a history of standing strong on its principles and values and in this case “was being left behind.”
(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Michael Perry)
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