He said Sherman “went beyond the prescription and spirit of the rules that had previously been agreed by the press gallery and Parliament”.
“Ms Sherman, the TVNZ political editor, has informed me that it was not her intention to go beyond the rules, but accepts that she did, and has accepted also the decision on this matter.”
Brownlee investigated Sherman’s actions after the National Party complained to TVNZ. The state broadcaster defended its staff’s behaviour but said it was up to the Speaker to determine whether there had been a breach of Parliamentary press gallery rules.
“At the same time, I would point out that other outlets also breached parliamentary rules as they pursued a story relating to the National Party caucus activities on 21 April,” Brownlee said in his statement today.
“While I’m not able to identify individuals who were part of those breaches, I have been aware that the TVNZ political editor engaged in attempts to secure an interview that went beyond the prescription and spirit of the rules that had previously been agreed by the press gallery and Parliament.”
He said his decision today “means that all aspects of the protocols between the Parliament represented by the Speaker’s office and the press gallery have been satisfied.”
The Herald revealed earlier today that the Speaker has stepped into the stand-off between the National Party and TVNZ over the way Sherman tried to interview Smith.
Sherman was facing a temporary ban from covering politics at Parliament if the Speaker found TVNZ breached longstanding press gallery rules.
“The matters relating to gallery behaviour and that of the TVNZ political editor last week are being considered in a process long agreed by the gallery,” Brownlee said in a statement provided to Media Insider earlier today.
Speaker Gerry Brownlee in his office at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell
A TVNZ spokeswoman earlier said: “As we said last week, we believe this is a matter for the Speaker. The Speaker is best to comment on their determinations, but we accept rulings that they make.”
TVNZ has been approached for fresh comment following news of the five-day ban.
Media Insider also earlier approached the press gallery executive committee, which represents members of the media working at Parliament. Chair Anna Whyte said: “Questions concerning the outcome of the National Party’s complaint regarding TVNZ are best directed to the Speaker.”
In 2011, then-Speaker Lockwood Smith removed parliamentary access cards from NZ Herald political staff for 10 days.
The Herald reported at the time that the decision was “without precedent”. Then-editor Tim Murphy said at the time that the decision was “outrageous”.
The Speaker’s decision followed the publication on the Herald website of a photograph of guards and other people restraining a man who was trying to jump from the public gallery into the debating chamber.
The suspension of the Herald‘s accreditation, on paper, barred the paper’s journalists from the complex, including ministers’ offices in the Beehive, but Herald journalists were – in this instance – able to rely on the goodwill of other journalists to get access to their offices.
At the time, Smith said the photograph was a breach of standing orders, which prohibited filming of protests and other disruptions in the public gallery.
National Party’s TVNZ complaint
The National Party last week laid an official complaint with TVNZ over what it described as the “unacceptable” behaviour of TVNZ staff after they tried to interview Stuart Smith.
TVNZ previously said its staff were asking legitimate questions on behalf of the public and it had a “different view” of what took place.
Senior National Cabinet Minister Simeon Brown. Photo / Michael Craig
Senior National MP Simeon Brown accused the TVNZ staff of breaching parliamentary rules by following Smith into a corridor area, “an area where media interviews are not allowed without express permission”.
Brown wrote on X that TVNZ staff “aggressively banged on [Smith’s] door for several minutes, refusing to accept Mr Smith declining to add further to a statement he had already made”.
Brown did not specify how many TVNZ staff were involved.
Brown further alleged that TVNZ staff “pressured him [Smith] about how he would be portrayed on Breakfast the following morning if he did not come out to talk to TVNZ”.
A TVNZ spokeswoman said last week: “Our journalist was asking questions on behalf of the public, as they do every day. This story came to light due to leaking from National Party MPs.
“It was a legitimate story to follow. We look forward to Stuart Smith making himself available to explain his absence from caucus.”
She said TVNZ had “a different view of what took place”.
“Irrespective, the correct place for complaints to be raised is with the Speaker of the House, who has authority over these matters, not with TVNZ or on social media. Simeon Brown is well aware of this.”
Sherman ‘f***ot incident’
Sherman has already been in the spotlight this week, after revelations she allegedly used a homophobic slur during a social event in Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ office last year.
The Speaker is not involved in this issue.
Political commentator Ani O’Brien broke the story on her Substack page this week – it has also been revealed that Newstalk ZB was chasing the story and received a threatening legal letter from TVNZ during the course of its inquiries.
TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman and (inset) Stuff journalist Lloyd Burr. Photos / TVNZ, supplied
Newstalk ZB host Mike Hosking told listeners yesterday that TVNZ threatened to sue the radio station after a producer raised questions with the state broadcaster about the alleged incident.
Hosking told listeners that his producer, Sam Carran, had been investigating the alleged incident – in which Sherman allegedly directed the word “f***ot” at journalist Lloyd Burr during the event – in the latter part of 2025.
“We got to a point where we were going to say something about it,” Hosking said.
But when Carran went to TVNZ to seek a response, the state broadcaster came back to him saying it did not comment on employment matters – followed soon afterwards by a legal letter from a corporate law firm, understood to be Russell McVeagh.
“TVNZ threatened to sue us,” Hosking told listeners.
“We got the big broad-based fat letter from the lawyers – it was one of those very wide-ranging letters you get from corporate lawyers basically encompassing everything.
“It doesn’t matter what you say, when you say, why you say it, how you say it, they’re going to go you for something. It was one of those letters.”
He indicated that enthusiasm for the story appeared to wane upon receipt of the letter. “What’s the term they use in legal circles? It had a chilling effect.”
Newstalk ZB breakfast host Mike Hosking. Photo / Michael Craig
Hosking said he was not “enamoured” with the story in the first place, but he was also “disappointed” that it did not get across the line.
“The political editor of the state broadcaster allegedly saying what she did is unacceptable, I think in most people’s minds,” he said.
“You can debate among yourselves whether you think that’s a sackable offence or not.”
Hosking said another question was whether it was “wise of the state broadcaster to use lawyers to threaten other broadcasting entities that have what, as it turns out, a perfectly legitimate story”.
“Should we have gone a bit cold on it ourselves? Personally, no, but we did, and you can ask NZME [owner of Newstalk ZB] about that another time if you want to.
“The good news is that in this modern day and age, it was always going to come out in some way, shape or form.”
NZME – which also owns the NZ Herald – refused to comment.
TVNZ repeated to the NZ Herald the original response it gave to ZB and also to the Herald earlier in the week: “We do not comment on employment matters”.
It refused to answer a range of questions from the Herald, including whether TVNZ had sent a legal letter to NZME regarding inquiries that Newstalk ZB was making in relation to the alleged incident. The Herald also asked about the rationale/nature of the legal letter and why it was sent.
Willis confirmed to the Herald that the alleged incident happened in her office last May.
“I can confirm I hosted a function for press gallery journalists in my office ahead of last year’s Budget,” Willis said.
“I was out of the room for a few minutes and returned to hear offensive language being used. I ended the event at that point.
“The following day, I checked in on the welfare of the reporter at whom the language was directed. He advised me he did not want to take the matter any further. I respected his decision.”
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.