Charge Against M.P. Considered (Press, 18 October 1986)
This is a Generative AI summary of this newspaper article. It may contain errors or omissions. Please note that the language in the summary is reflective of the original article and the societal attitudes of the time in which it was written.
Summary: Charge Against M.P. Considered (Press, 18 October 1986)
On 18 October 1986, the privileges committee of the New Zealand Parliament convened while the House was in session to address a charge against Whangarei MP John Banks that had been pending for seven months. The committee is expected to spend several days next week hearing evidence, as Banks is determined to defend himself vigorously against the allegations. The breach of privilege in question stems from comments made by Banks during a passionate debate on the Homosexual Law Reform Bill in March of that year. During the debate, Banks allegedly accused the chairman of committees, John Terris, of bias and collusion with the bill's sponsor, which led to his suspension from the debating chamber for a period of 24 hours. So far, the hearings have primarily focused on legal arguments. The privileges committee has dismissed points raised by Banks's counsel, Jim McLay, who has indicated that they might consider seeking a court ruling on the matter. However, after discussions with Banks, McLay announced that they would refrain from pursuing legal action at this time.
Important Information
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