Political Animal: NZ Lawmaker Carries Crayfish Into Parliament

Wellington: A New Zealand lawmaker made a splash inside parliament on Tuesday, brandishing a hefty live crayfish that he pledged to devour after the government budget this week.

Fisheries Minister Shane Jones cradled the crustacean as he strolled through the lobby at New Zealand's Parliament House, a sight so bizarre that it stopped a nearby news conference in its tracks.

"As you can see, it's still moving. But once it goes into hot water, it won't be moving any more," Jones explained after a baffled reporter asked: "Is it alive?"

Jones said the freshwater crayfish -- which are similar but separate to lobsters -- was a gift from members of a New Zealand Maori tribe.

He said it would be consumed "on the night of the budget", which the government will hand down on Thursday.

Jones held the crayfish while he fielded reporters' questions on everything from energy policy to the selection processes of his populist NZ First political party.

He said he would not bring it into the debating chamber, lest it be confiscated and eaten.

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It is not the first fish-themed stunt to cause a stink inside New Zealand's parliament.

Former opposition leader David Shearer wielded two dead snapper fish on the floor of parliament in 2013 as he railed against proposed government fishing quotas.

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