National's Paula Bennett has stormed out of the debating chamber at Parliament after a quibble with the Speaker during Question Time on Wednesday.
Ms Bennett was questioning Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern about education spending at the time, and was asked by the Speaker to rephrase her question.
"I wouldn't say I walked out in protest. There was just a bit of frustration and no point in sitting there if you haven't got the questions," Ms Bennett told media after she walked out.
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"To just sit there and be treated like a child and to not actually even be able to put your point question forward."
A fallout led to both National's Gerry Brownlee and Ms Bennett challenging Speaker Trevor Mallard's policy of removing supplementary questions from politicians as punishment for interruptions.
Supplementary questions allow politicians to ask questions related to the topic raised in the primary question. There are 12 primary questions every Question Time.
Mr Brownlee made a point of order and told the Speaker his repeated recall of questions was preventing the Opposition from holding the Government to account.
The Speaker said it was "grossly disorderly" for Mr Brownlee to say that.
Ms Bennett then made her own point of order to say: "The use of taking away and gaining supplementary questions does question our ability as the Opposition to actually put the Government on notice."
The Speaker then said he regarded Ms Bennett as being "grossly disorderly".
"I absolutely reject any suggestion that the National Party have been not been able to ask the number of questions over this Parliament than they would have been otherwise, that's just not true," he said.
Ms Bennett asked to make a point of order, which was rejected by the speaker.
"I'm leaving," Paula Bennett said in reply. "What a waste of time."
"For how long?" the Speaker asked.
"Thank you," he said, as she walked out of the House.
Ms Bennett told media she would go back into the House for the Budget debate.
"I do have questions about how Question Time is run," she said, however she would not say that she had lost confidence in the Speaker.
Newshub.
