Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has been ejected from Parliament's debating chamber and told to leave for the rest of the week after a fiery speech about the war in Gaza.
She was taking part in an urgent debate called after the coalition's announcement that it would come to a formal decision in September over whether to recognise the state of Palestine.
As Swarbrick came to the end of her contribution, she challenged the coalition MPs to back her member's bill allowing New Zealand to apply sanctions on Israel "for its war crimes".
"If we find six of 68 government MPs with a spine, we can stand on the right side of history," Swarbrick said.
Almost immediately, Speaker Gerry Brownlee condemned the remark as "completely unacceptable" and demanded she "withdraw it and apologise".
Swarbrick shot back a curt - "no" - prompting Brownlee to order her out of the chamber for the remainder of the week.
"Happily," Swarbrick said, as she rose to leave.
Green Party whip Ricardo Menéndez March later stood to question the severity of punishment, saying Parliament's rules suggested Swarbrick should be barred for no more than a day.
"Can I please have your confirmation as to whether this is a departure from Standing Orders," Menéndez March asked.
Assistant Speaker Greg O'Connor - who had assumed the chair - said the clerk would seek advice but the Speaker's ruling stood "until you hear otherwise".
Brownlee later returned to clarify that Swarbrick could return to the debating chamber on Wednesday, but only if she agreed to withdraw and apologise.
"If she doesn't, then she'll be leaving the House again," he said.
"I'm not going to sit in this chair and tolerate a member standing on her feet... and saying that other members of this House are spineless."
Earlier, during Parliament's Question Time, Act leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour objected to Swarbrick having a Palestinian scarf, or keffiyeh, draped across her seat.
"I invite you to consider what this House might look like if everybody who had an interest in a global conflict started adorning their seats with symbols of one side or another of a conflict," he said.
"I think that would bring the House into disrepute and no member should be allowed to do such a thing."
Brownlee said Seymour raised a good point, only for Swarbrick to then wrap the scarf around her neck.
"Oh, here we go," he said. "Well, stay warm. We'll move on now."
