David Seymour starts to drive a Land Rover up the steps of Parliament, in a screenshot from the ACT Party's video of the event. Photo: Screenshot / Act Party
The prime minister says he is not interested in "political sideshows," after ACT Party leader David Seymour earned himself a rebuke from Parliament security for attempting to drive a Land Rover up Parliament's steps.
The Land Rover - which also drove up the steps in 1948 - was at Parliament as part of a fund-raising drive for Manaaki Manawa, the Centre for Heart Research, to fund new heart valve devices for children.
Seymour was behind the wheel of the vehicle, and started to drive it up the steps.
A security officer then intervened, telling him the speaker had said he could not drive onto the steps.
The MP said he was not aware the speaker had not given permission, and later defended his actions.
"Do you really believe that there's any danger in somebody driving a Range Rover or a Land Rover a couple of metres up a step? I don't think so."
Seymour said he was re-enacting the 1948 event for a good cause.
"The only danger that was created was actually from the security guard who put himself in danger, and I had to stop when he put himself in the way of the wheels," he said.
The prime minister said it was a matter for Seymour and the Speaker.
"I'm just not interested in those political sideshows. I want to get things done. I'm very, very focused on making sure we drive economic growth in this country."
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Seymour should have known better, given driving up the steps of Parliament had already been determined to be something MPs were not allowed to do.
"David Seymour has far more important things to be focusing his attention on at the moment than ram-raiding the steps of Parliament," Hipkins said.
A spokesperson for the speaker said he would be making a statement on the matter "in due course".
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