Miss New Zealand contestants descended on Parliament today, but World Peace wasn’t on the agenda.
Dressed to the nines, the 10 women and NZ Miss Universe director Val Lott were in Wellington for their annual meeting with National MP Maurice Williamson.
Unlike the daunting goals of Miss Congeniality, Ms Lott said the girls just wanted to “get on well”, rather than seek World Peace.
She said the girls loved their regular meet-ups with Mr Williamson, who “gives the girls a great overview of what Parliament is all about”.
“It’s education for the girls and it’s a window of opportunity because they are from all around New Zealand.
The group had just had lunch in the capital with the mayor and visited a rest home.
“And we will do a fashion parade in a number of malls – and even a hotel,” says Ms Lott.
Mr Williamson describes the girls as “very nice” and said he was going to call a point of order in the house to introduce them to his Parliamentary colleagues.
It wouldn’t be the first time Mr Williamson has interrupted the house during a visit by the girls.
“We were at a sitting of house once and there was a debate going on between Labour and National and Maurice Williamson proudly stood up and said ‘Excuse me, I’ve just had all these girls in my office’ and it hit the news. It was amazing,” says Ms Lott.
“Maurice said he’s never had anything so hilarious in Parliament. That was completely out of order, but it was a lot of fun.”
Ms Lott says the girls are “all very interested. Most of them, adding they have “also met with John Keys [sic] before.”
Mr Williamson explained that Ms Lott lives in his electorate and brings the contestants to Parliament every year.
“We show them around, give them a bit of a tour and they go in for question time.”
3 News