The Deputy Prime Minister should apologise to the public servant he named and blamed for something they did not do, and for misusing the rules of Parliament.

“Parliament has standards, and Winston Peters fell well short of those,” Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said.'

“The Speaker has today ruled that the Deputy Prime Minister’s use of a personal statement misused the rules of the House.

“Yesterday, the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had to apologise for again bringing a public servant into the debate, despite that person having done nothing wrong. Christopher Luxon should be ashamed of the position he has taken on this.

“Winston Peters has no evidence of wrongdoing, because there isn’t any. The person he has accused of wrongdoing cannot speak back, is part of a politically neutral public service and has declared the conflict of interest.

“Winston Peters should personally apologise to them, and to the House,” Chris Hipkins said.