Greg Treadwell, acting journalism curriculum leader at AUT University, says New Zealanders should be deeply concerned at the heavy-handed response from Speaker Lockwood Smith to a mobile-phone photo taken in Parliament being published by the NZ Herald.

"The maintenance of decorum in Parliament's debating chamber is extremely important and must be appropriately protected by the Speaker's rules.

"However, to ban all journalists accredited to a news organisation because of the actions of one reporter and, presumably, an editor's decision in the Auckland newsroom to publish the picture sets an incredibly worrying precedent.

"What will the punishment now be if a more serious breach of Parliamentary rules occurs? Excluded for months at a time? Years?"

Treadwell went on to question how it compares with the punishment handed out when TV3 and TV One committed what were, in his view, much more serious breaches when they chased MP Chris Carter around the building, filming in his office without permission, and had their Parliament car parking suspended!

"I would call on the Speaker to think carefully about his reaction and, if possible, significantly alter his ruling."