TVNZ’s political editor Maiki Sherman has been suspended from Parliament for five days following a complaint about her conduct while attempting to interview an MP.

Her employer, TVNZ reported Sherman was barred from the parliamentary precinct from 1 May until 6 May after Speaker Gerry Brownlee ruled her actions went beyond agreed press gallery rules.

The decision followed an incident involving National MP Stuart Smith, where it was alleged TVNZ staff pursued him into a corridor and repeatedly knocked on his door while seeking comment.

One News reported a senior National MP also alleged staff pressured Smith about how he would be portrayed on Breakfast television if he did not agree to an interview.

In announcing the suspension, Brownlee said the conduct “went beyond the prescription and spirit of the rules” governing media behaviour within Parliament.

Sherman accepted the ruling, saying it was not her intention to breach the rules, but acknowledged she had done so.

Brownlee said other media outlets may also have breached the rules on the same day, but individuals could not be identified.

Earlier this week it was reported that Sherman was involved in an incident on May 13 last year at a function hosted by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.

The claims were first circulated by blogger Ali O’Brien, claiming a homophobic slur was used by Sherman at the pre-Budget event.

Speaking to Chris Lynch Media this morning, Seymour was asked about revelations that Stuff had threatened legal action over O’Brien’s reporting on the ongoing Maiki Sherman drama, while at the same time publishing a story that relied on her work.

The ACT leader said the wider issue was not what was said or not said in the original incident, but the way the media picks and chooses how it operates.

“If you want aggressive journalism, that’s fine. If you want polite journalism, that’s fine. It just has to be consistent across different stories and different subjects,” Seymour said.

He recalled previously pleading with journalists not to cover a particular candidate they were attacking, because of the effect it was having on the candidate’s children.

“They didn’t seem to think that was much of a reason.”

Asked whether part of the backlash against Sherman was because she was viewed as more of an activist than a reporter, Seymour said “I’ve probably met Ani O’Brien half a dozen times in the last 10 years, she certainly seems to attract a lot of venom for whatever reason. Maybe because some of the positions she’s taken aren’t the trendy ones.”

Seymour said much of the public anger came down to a feeling that ordinary New Zealanders would never get away with the kind of behaviour the media [Sherman] has been accused of.

“If I did this in my workplace, I would get completely hauled before the HR people. I would end up potentially losing my job. I’d get warnings. That’s the standard that applies to most people.”

“You can be in favour of free speech and loose language and all the rest, but most people fear the kind of consequences they would face if they behaved this way in their workplace.”

“What most people want more than anything is just to be treated fairly and with dignity and with equality to others. When you see somebody else getting a different treatment, that’s what gets people’s backs up.”

Why it matters before an election

Asked whether the saga was simply Wellington beltway noise, Seymour said the public should care because of what is at stake at the ballot box.

“We’re about to have an election and people need to be able to make informed choices. There has to be accountability for the people who have huge power to shape how people see that choice that defines the direction of the country.”

He said it was the reason he had started filming all of his own interviews with media.

“They wield huge power to shape people’s opinions, and that can lead to changes in electoral outcomes that change the direction of this country. But where’s their accountability? What this episode has shown is that unless someone busts them with a Substack account, there’s none.”