Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick has accused Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of telling a "demonstrable lie" in Parliament.
It came after the Prime Minister told the House that the Government was "not weakening our actions on climate change" in response to a question from Greens co-leader Marama Davidson.
Swarbrick yelled out: "Yes you are, that's a demonstrable lie."
ACT leader David Seymour stood up with a point of order saying Speaker Gerry Brownlee may not have heard but after the Prime Minister's answer, "I heard Chlöe Swarbrick say, 'that's a demonstrable lie', that is quite a serious accusation to make of any Member."
Brownlee said he hadn't heard that, but said if Swarbrick had made that statement, she could consider withdrawing and apologising.
Swarbrick did not, causing a commotion in the House.
She eventually stood to say: "My point was it is demonstrable."
Swarbrick then sat down, leading deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters to stand and say Swarbrick should have the opportunity to withdraw considering the remark may be captured by Hansard.
Brownlee eventually received advice which said that Speaker's Rulings say, "saying a Member is lying is always out of order".
He said that if Swarbrick did made that accusation and didn't withdraw, "that does have other consequences".
Swarbrick again stood and said she was "speaking to the content of the policies as put forward by this Government and the fact that the content of those policies are a lie".
"If the inference is that therefore the minister or the Prime Minister are a liar, that wasn't the statement I was making, but I was pointing out it is demonstrable on the evidence that the undertakings from this Government is completely contrary to our climate commitments."
Brownlee called that an opinion and said others would make a judgement on what the Hansard would show.
As Swarbrick made her statement, Peters could be heard saying, "she's admitting it now", while Shane Jones yelled out "amateur hour".
