The PoO team was surprised to learn from The Post that Lawrence Xu-Nan, a first-term Green MP, has spoken more in Parliament than any other MP this term.
Not by a little either – Xu-Nan has said 420,000 words, over four times the 102,000 words the average MP has managed.
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That’s about the length of Moby Dick twice over, about 120,000 words more than his closest opponent, and about 26 times as many words as the least talkative MP, Melissa Lee. If he spoke at the normal conversational pace of 130 words per minute it would be about 54 hours. (He does not speak at a normal pace.) Xu-Nan’s chatterbox nature is revealed in a data analysis by the Sunday Star-Times of every word spoken in this term of Parliament thus far.
The newspaper’s analysis excluded words spoken “from the chair” by the Speaker or others acting in his role.
MPs who served severely shortened terms before leaving or came in seriously late were generally excluded from averages to not skew the data.
Just two of the top 10 most talkative MPs were from the Government – Chris Bishop in number four (283,00 words) and Nicola Willis at number eight (241,000 words).
Their “speeches” – which can include anything from a full-bore general debate speech to an answer to a question to a shouted interjection – are far more numerous than the Opposition MPs they compete with, who tend to make fewer but longer speeches.
But it’s all very well to have prowess in verbiage if nobody takes much notice.
Without Stuff’s research resources, PoO turned to Google’s AI Mode and asked:
How many times has Lawrence Xu-Nan featured in news reports in the past year?
The newspaper’s analysis excluded words spoken “from the chair” by the Speaker or others acting in his role.
MPs who served severely shortened terms before leaving or came in seriously late were generally excluded from averages to not skew the data.
Just two of the top 10 most talkative MPs were from the Government – Chris Bishop in number four (283,00 words) and Nicola Willis at number eight (241,000 words).
Their “speeches” – which can include anything from a full-bore general debate speech to an answer to a question to a shouted interjection – are far more numerous than the Opposition MPs they compete with, who tend to make fewer but longer speeches.
But it’s all very well to have prowess in verbiage if nobody takes much notice.
Without Stuff’s research resources, PoO turned to Google’s AI Mode and asked:
How many times has Lawrence Xu-Nan featured in news reports in the past year?
The response was:
Green Party MP Lawrence Xu-Nan has been featured or quoted in at least six distinct major news reports over the past 12 months, largely in his capacity as the party’s spokesperson for Justice, Education, and Overseas New Zealanders. [1]
His notable news appearances in major publications include:
- June 2026: Featured in The Post for a record-breaking volume of speaking in Parliament, delivering roughly 420,000 words this parliamentary term.
- June 2026: Quoted in The Post discussing government ministers missing deadlines for written parliamentary questions.
- February 2026: Profiled and interviewed by The Spinoff.
- January 2026: Quoted in an RNZ News article regarding political debates over marine life gathering.
- July 2025: Featured in Stuff criticizing police data that showed a reduction in neighborhood crime rates.
- June 2025: Featured in RNZ News in a detailed Q&A analyzing Parliament’s budget Estimates Scrutiny Week. [1, 2]
Which Green Party MP has won the most news media attention in the past year?
Sure enough, the answer was:
Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has won the most news media attention in the past year, acting as the central figure for party announcements, responding to political opposition, and dominating overall parliamentary speaking time. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Other high-profile MPs in the news:
- Benjamin Doyle: Generated intense media scrutiny regarding their pre-Parliament social media history and the subsequent wave of threats and abuse directed at them. [1, 2]
- Marama Davidson: Frequent news coverage as co-leader, including widespread reporting on a recent incident where they were filmed speeding. [1, 2]
- Julie Anne Genter: Garnered notable media attention following privileges complaints regarding an aggressive confrontation in Parliament. [1]
There were no surprises:
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis have captured the most news media attention over the past year. [1]
Google observed that because “news media attention” is measured across multiple metrics (such as press coverage, television broadcast mentions, and official parliamentary records), the volume of attention varies depending on the platform. [1, 2]
This suggests X-Nan must become PM, Finance Minister, party co-leader or some-such to lift his media coverage.
Or – may we suggest? – he could learn from the Maori Party.
The Google response concludes with the name of a backbencher.
Individual Backbench and Viral Attention\
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke: Among non-cabinet MPs, Te Pāti Māori’s Maipi-Clarke continues to win immense local and global media attention. Her speech-making style and historic status as the country’s youngest MP in 170 years frequently trigger viral international news coverage. [1]
The trick here is to learn how to shout belligerently while rolling your eyes and flashing your tongue
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
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