The Workplace Relations Minister's defending saying the C-word in Parliament, while lashing out over an opinion piece opposing her pay equity policy.

In the Sunday Star Times, Andrea Vance referred to senior Cabinet ministers as girl-bosses and a hype squad, and said the policy used 'girl math'.

Quoting it in Parliament, Brooke van Velden herself used the extreme swear-word - saying she's standing up for MPs.

Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls unpacked the whole saga - and explained how it backfired on the opposition.

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