Act leader Rodney Hide has launched an extraordinary attack on NZ First leader Winston Peters, making a series of allegations under the cloak of parliamentary privilege which helps protect MPs from being sued.
They have been at each others throats for weeks and this time Act leader Rodney Hide came armed with fresh allegations.
"Winston Peters went to see Peter Simunovich to show him the evidence of corruption he had against Peter Simunovich and stated that through a payment of $50,000 quote 'we would just slowly get rid of it'," says Hide.
Peter Simunovich owns Simunovich Fisheries and was once embroiled in a select committee inquiry into the scampi quota.
"We are not going to suddenly have any kind of half baked Serious Fraud Office inquiry conducted in this house by Rodney Hide QC. The reality is he hasn't presented one fact," says Peters.
That objection did not stop Hide.
"This businessman was one of several people that Peter Simunovich gave $9,999.95 in 2002 to pass onto New Zealand First in exchange for Winston Peters quote 'shutting up' about his allegations of wrongdoing against Simunovich Fisheries," Hide says.
Peters says what Hide is saying is baseless and more importantly the subject of a serious defamation case.
Hide kept trying but Peters kept objecting.
"You know I have an action against TVNZ and RNZ and others," says Peters.
The Speaker Margaret Wilson shut Hide down because parliament's rules prevent MPs referring to ongoing court cases.
Hide says there are no matter before the court in his question.
The argument went on until the Speaker ejected Hide from the House, Hide saying it was an absolute disgrace for the Speaker to be shutting down an MP.
"It would be our stand that there has been a travesty of justice here, that Mr Hide has been done a wrong," says Gerry Brownlee, National MP.
And it's not isn't over yet with Hide promising to be back on Wednesday with more allegations.
