CHAMBER POT CLAIMS PROBED

Report promised for Speaker

Parliamentary officials have launched an investigation into allegations
that an Alliance staff member and a journalist smoked dope in Parliament's
Debating Chamber last week.

Service general manager John O'Sullivan said reports and views were being
obtained from all the interested parties and a full report would be
provided to Speaker Jonathan Hunt in the new year.

He confirmed that surveillance cameras in the Debating Chamber operated
from "time to time" but declined to say whether they were operating at the
time of the alleged incident.

Alastair Thompson, the journalist involved, has admitted that he smoked a
cigarette in the chamber after the press gallery Christmas Party on
Wednesday night, but denied that he and Alliance press secretary Steve
Collett smoked marijuanna there.

"It would be an offensive thing to do for the honour of Parliament and we
didn't do that," he said.

Mr Thompson runs the Internet news site Scoop.

National MP Gerry Brownlee reported the two to parliamentary security
guards towards midnight on Wednesday after detecting a "particularly
pungent odour".

"I followed the smell to see two people trying to gain entry to the
precincts of Parliament with a Parliamentary Services swipe card.

"They did so despite my asking what they thought they were doing. They
proceeded through the doors around to the chamber. They entered the chamber
and I went to get the Parliamentary Services security staff."

Alliance leader Jim Anderton said he would look at the facts in the new
year and take whatever action was appropriate.

"I take seriously any breach of privilege of Parliament and we have to deal
with that, but I also think we have to keep some perspective. It is the
season of good will. I hope there is a little bit of it around the place."

Mr Anderton said he had spoken to Mr Collett about the allegation but had
not asked him to confirm or deny anything. "I just spoke to him and said
was he aware there was some concern and he said 'Yes" and I said 'Right,
well we need to look at it when you get back (from holiday)'."

ACT leader Richard Prebble said he had written to Mr Anderton asking him
for an explanation.

He said the incident, if true, could not be dismissed as a prank.

"People get (parliamentary access) cards on trust. Breaching trust is not a
minor matter. The criminal law of this country is not a minor matter either."

He said the incident was "extremely unlikely to be forgotten" over the
Christmas-New Year break.

Press Gallery chairman Barry Soper said Mr Thompson was not a member of the
press gallery. He said there had been pranks in the past in relation to the
debating chamber. Journalists on two separate occasions had attempted to
remove the Speaker's chair.

Marijuana smoking Rastafarian Green MP Nandor Tanczos did not think smoking
pot in the debating chamber was appropriate.