Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour has criticised the Green Party for remaining silent on the peace deal reportedly brokered by former United States President Donald Trump, saying their lack of response is “embarrassing” given their strong interest in Gaza.

Speaking to Chris Lynch, Seymour said he found it extraordinary that the Greens had made no public comment on what he described as a potentially historic breakthrough.

“They have talked a lot about compassion for people suffering, and I think we all should,” he said. “What appears to be happening, I hope, is the start of a long and stable peace where hostages get released, aid starts to flow, and Gaza can rebuild, not just physically, but into a stable, democratic state without Hamas involved. If that can be achieved, that is enormous, and you would have to give credit to President Trump for his role in it.”

Seymour said the development “makes a mockery” of arguments that recognising Palestine would have advanced peace.

“The United States did not recognise Palestine, and neither has New Zealand,” he said. “Recognition did not help. This is a bit embarrassing for the Greens. They need to take a good hard look at themselves and ask whether all their misbehaviour, including the protests outside Winston Peters’ house, was worth it.”

Parliament suspended after haka

Turning to domestic politics, Seymour criticised Te Pāti Māori after an unauthorised haka erupted in the public gallery following MP Oriini Kaipara’s maiden speech, forcing Speaker Gerry Brownlee to suspend Parliament.

Brownlee later confirmed he would investigate whether the haka had been organised with the party’s knowledge, calling it a potential contempt of Parliament.

Seymour said the incident showed “disrespect not just for the rules but for voters.”

“Parliament’s rules are there to protect the right of MPs to speak on behalf of the people who elected them,” he said. “When you take away Parliament’s time or prevent someone else from having their say, you are taking away the voice of the people. Nobody in this country, whether they are another MP or a mob in the gallery, has a right to do that.”

He rejected claims that criticism of the haka was culturally insensitive, saying he had grown up speaking te reo Māori, singing waiata, and performing haka himself.

“I have been doing haka since I was five,” Seymour said. “But I also understand the value of a Westminster Parliament and of a democratic system that gives every New Zealander an equal say. That is what is at stake here.”

Seymour also criticised One News for failing to mention the suspension of Parliament following the haka, despite the broadcaster releasing a report last month claiming it was not politically biased.

“This is why people are losing faith in institutions,” he said. “When Parliament is disrupted, that is not a small thing, it is foundational to our democracy. Yet One News could not even reflect that. They have three reporters in Parliament and live feeds to the six o’clock news. How hard can it be?”

Asked about footage showing Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer being pulled away from reporters by Rawiri Waititi before she could answer a question about alleged dictatorship within the party, Seymour said, “I did not see it, but someone said if you look at the Māori Party caucus, they look awfully like the Addams Family. Sometimes you just have to laugh.”

Marama Davidson accused of double standard

Seymour also addressed the controversy surrounding Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson, who stopped short of apologising after sharing a video that included violent remarks directed at him and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters.

The original video was posted by Tania Waikato, a lawyer for the Toitū Te Tiriti movement who has expressed interest in becoming a Green Party MP. Waikato wrote on the video, “I know it’s going to be hard not to punch David Seymour and Winston.”

Davidson, who previously served as Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, re-posted the video on her social media account earlier in the week, sparking widespread criticism.

In a statement sent to chrislynchmedia.com, Davidson said, “Violence should never be directed at anyone. I have myself experienced and seen abhorrent abuse directed toward wahine, members of the rainbow community, Māori, and other marginalised groups. I want to be clear that is not what I was endorsing in this instance. What the post illustrated was the deep frustration that many people are feeling, stemming from the divisive and harmful rhetoric being used by some political leaders. The point could have been made without language which could have been read as condoning violence.”

Seymour said the incident showed “a massive double standard” in how the media and political establishment respond to such behaviour.

“Five years ago, I was accused of causing harassment for comments that were totally innocent,” he said. “But now you have Green Party figures linked to mobs smashing windows at a politician’s house, and nobody calls for accountability. People are slowly working them out.”

Maipi-Clarke’s false claim and misinformation concerns

Seymour also spoke about misinformation and false claims in politics, referring to the case of Māori Party candidate Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, who claimed her home had been “ram-raided” and “invaded” during last year’s election campaign.

Police later confirmed there was no home invasion, no ram raid, and no racial motivation, saying the incident involved a man entering her Huntly property who was issued a trespass notice after being asked to leave. Police found no evidence of any crime and said the matter was incorrectly reported as a ram raid when it was a theft.

In a statement at the time, Seymour said Te Pāti Māori had “played fast and loose with the truth” and should apologise to genuine victims of serious crime.

“The police have confirmed there was no home invasion, no ram raid, and no racial motivation,” he said. “They have misled the people of New Zealand so they can smear their political rivals. This is politics at its lowest ebb.”

In his latest comments, Seymour said these kinds of false comparisons risk undermining real victims of crime.

“For example, Winston Peters’ house was clearly attacked. A car did not crash into the Māori Party MP’s home as claimed,” he said. “That is the difference between factual observation and political storytelling. We need more of the former.”

He said New Zealanders must return to honest, evidence-based discussion. “When your argument starts with a lie, it is hard to have a genuine conversation,” he said. “We need debates based on observation and reason, not emotion and fabrication.”

Protests and priorities

Seymour also commented on the 37 protesters arrested outside the Christchurch Convention Centre this week, saying demonstrators had crossed the line from lawful protest to deliberate disruption.

“Politics is the art of persuasion. It is about winning hearts, minds, and votes, not beating people up or disrupting others,” he said. “These protesters have not disrupted the global military industrial complex. They have just made ordinary New Zealanders think they are crazy.”