Back Benches - First Episode

Television (Full Length Episode) – 2008

In this first episode of the pub-based political panel show, National Party MPs Maurice Williamson and Jacqui Dean join Labour's Louisa Wall and the Māori Party's Hone Harawira (later leader of the Mana Party) to debate the hot stories of the day. Topics include a historic FTA (Free Trade Deal) between Aotearoa and China and the banning of so-called 'party pills'. All MPs welcome the FTA — bar Harawira — who is again a lone voice on party pills which Labour, with support from National, banned from sale in 2008. Chapman visits Trevor Mallard's office and is drawn to the minister's collection of cultural gifts.

[Wallace] Chapman reported that ex-National MP Maurice Williamson was one of the first MPs to accept an invite to the fairly unorthodox show, but he never came back. "He hates the show," Chapman said, because the first question Williamson received was: "Global Warming, real, yes or no?" "He said that's not a question and he never came on the show again."
– National MP Maurice Williamson's brief relationship with Back Benches, Stuff, 30 September 2017