Lange Walk-out Sparks Row (Press, 25 November 1983)

On 25 November 1983, a tumultuous event unfolded in the New Zealand Parliament, culminating in the Leader of the Opposition, Mr David Lange, walking out amidst a heated dispute. The incident occurred during the committee stage of the State Services Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill. Mr Lange sparked controversy with a derogatory remark, referring to the Leader of the House, Mr Thomson, as a "poofter" while delivering a speech that was largely drowned out by noise from the chamber. Following this comment, the committee’s chairman, Mr J. F. Luxton, requested Mr Lange to withdraw his statement and apologise. However, Mr Lange continued speaking, defying the chairman's request. As the uproar in the chamber escalated, Mr Luxton declared that he required Mr Lange to leave. In response to this, Lange proclaimed his willingness to exit the chamber and stated, “I will vote all night against this Government and forever against this Government,” before departing, which prompted applause from both sides of the aisle. The episode unfolded just before the parliamentary broadcast concluded at 10:30 p.m., during which Mr Thomson had suggested extending the broadcast hours on the condition that the Opposition would agree to conclude the debate by midnight—a condition that was not met, according to Mr Thomson. After Mr Lange left the chamber, a division was called regarding whether the debate on the bill's short title and proposed amendments should conclude. The results showed a narrow margin of 45 to 41 in favour of closing the debate. Notably, Chief Opposition Whip Mr J. L. Hunt indicated that 42 Opposition members had voted, while Mr Luxton acknowledged that he had not counted Mr Lange's vote. After a disagreement over Mr Lange's voting rights, it was decided to recall the Speaker, Sir Richard Harrison, to resolve the matter. The Speaker reviewed the differing accounts from various members, including Mr Luxton and Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Mr Palmer. Ultimately, he ruled that Mr Lange’s vote should indeed be counted, stating that the chairman's earlier decision to send Mr Lange from the chamber did not fall under the standing order that would have disallowed his vote. Once the House resumed its committee session, Mr Luxton formally returned Mr Lange to the chamber. In light of the situation, Mr Lange issued an apology for his earlier remarks and expressed respect for Mr Luxton’s integrity as chairman. This incident highlighted the intense tensions and rivalries present within the parliamentary proceedings at the time, showcasing the friction between the Government and the Opposition.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand