Shameless hypocrisy

Parliament is often a venue for shameless hypocrisy, but yesterday saw one of the worst examples I've seen for a long time. During Question Time, Dr Lockwood Smith attempted to quiz the Prime Minister about Taito Phillip Field's loyalty to the Labour party. Growing frustrated with the fact that his questions were obviously and clearly outside the Standing Orders, he then asked whether she had discussed with Field "the reasons that the Asian crime unit may have been investigating his activities". In response to this Winston Peters, in full outrage, asked

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. You have just heard a most serious allegation made against a member of this House. I would have assumed that such a serious allegation would be backed up with some proof or documentary evidence, or with something to verify the reason that that question was asked. The question was not asked accidentally; it was planned. I do not know whether there is such evidence, but Dr Lockwood Smith owed it to this Parliament to provide some evidence before he asked a question in such a cavalier fashion, implicating a member of Parliament in a possible crime. I ask him to give us that evidence.

This, remember, is the same Winston Peters who has shown absolutely no qualms about defaming members of the public under the cover of Parliamentary Privilege, based solely on their national origins - and then refused to provide any evidence or apologise to his victims. But I guess the rules are different when the slanderer isn't Winston, and the victim isn't a refugee...