There is no reason to delay settlement of five Treaty of Waitangi settlement bills this week, despite the government claiming it will have to because of New Zealand First.

'Messrs Finlayson and Brownlee should stop their hysterical behaviour – the reality is enough MPs will have to be in parliament to pass these bills. That's the constitutional position,” says New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.

'These bills can all go through on time, but it will require members to be here and not on holiday.

'When parliament sits, parliamentarians attend.

'They are making a song and dance about New Zealand First demanding a party vote, so that the vote is recorded in the parliamentary record – Hansard.

'That's the way parliament operates.

'If these two ministers think standing up for the rights of parliamentarians is 'appalling behaviour' it explains why the National Party has become so arrogant.

'This is all the government's making, it tried to rush these bills through via the business committee, when it should have kept to the democratic, standard procedure,” says Mr Peters.

SOURCE: Office of Winston Peters