PM's department accused of theft cover-up

While Labour MPs last week chastised Ardern's allegedly unlawful protest actions, it has emerged that the PM's department secretly handled a case of an employee who stole money from a petty cash account.

Clark has admitted an employee in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet "owned up" to stealing $193.

But the matter was not referred to police, and the staffer continues to work for the PM's department, in a breach of state service guidelines.

Clark and other Labour MPs rebuked Ardern for driving a tractor up parliament's steps during a protest against the "fart tax".

Clark criticised the stunt as "disorderly" and invited police to charge Ardern - two days later police charged the National MP with disorderly behaviour.

National leader Bill English said the government's comments were hypocritical after Clark's department covered up the...