Photos of Speaker Trevor Mallard cuddling Labour MP Tāmati Coffey's new baby have gone viral around the globe.
On Wednesday, Tūtānekai Smith-Coffey - the son of Coffey and his husband Tim Smith - was held by Mallard as he sat in the Speaker's seat in Parliament.
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Coffey, MP for Waiariki, announced the birth of his son last month. He and Tim said they were "overwhelmed at the miracle of life".
Photos of Mallard and the baby have now spread around the world, with the likes of TIME magazine, USA Today, the Irish Times, and Reuters all reporting the cuddly moment.
"Bringing up baby: New Zealand speaker makes parliament more parent-friendly" was the headline used by Reuters. Mallard relaxed rules in 2017 to make Parliament more accommodating for new parents and their babies.
The Guardian, The Telegraph, Sky News, and CNN have all shared a video taken of the pair during Wednesday's General Debate in Parliament.
A Twitter moment was also made, including several viral tweets about Mallard.
"A lawmaker @tamaticoffey in New Zealand brought his baby to the parliament after coming back from paternity leave. The House speaker @SpeakerTrevor babysat for him during a debate," tweeted an Indian police chief. That tweet has been liked more than 15,000 times and retweeted more than 3400 times.
Prominent Muslim Democrat Ilhan Omar - known for her feuds with US President Donald Trump - shared a picture of Mallard and the baby with a love heart emoji.
However, despite all the attention, it's not the first time Mallard has taken a baby up to the Speaker's seat. Labour MP Willow-Jean Prime's baby daughter Heeni got the same treatment in 2017. Hiwa-i-te-rangi, the baby of Labour MP Kiri Allan and her partner, also made an appearance in Parliament with a cameo in the arms of the Speaker.
Newshub.
