A woman protesting the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) threw a sex toy at a New Zealand politician.

"That's for raping away our sovereignty," the protester, Josie Butler, shouted, after throwing the sex toy at Economic Minister Steven Joyce.

As she was led away from the media conference at Waitangi, she said: "That's for raping our country, because of the TPPA and selling away our rights and our freedom. I did it for our country."

Ms Butler was taken away by police and later released without charge, according to a post on her Facebook page.

Mr Joyce took it on the chin, joking on Twitter:

He told TVNZ: "Fair to say I don’t think those sorts of things happen everyday.

"We actually thought it was a little bit humorous at the end of it all. New experiences in politics everyday, it's the privilege of serving."