Allegation costs taxpayers $333,000
Speaker Trevor Mallard has cost the taxpayer more than $333,000 after a parliamentary staffer he accused of rape pursued legal action, and the National Party now says it can no longer support Mallard in the job.
The figure, revealed to the National Party in a written parliamentary question, includes a $158,000 settlement payment from the Speaker to the staffer, $171,000 to cover legal fees, and $4641 for Crown Law advice to the former deputy speaker.
Mallard on Tuesday publicly apologised to the staffer, saying in a statement he had been wrong to describe the allegation as rape, and apologised for the ‘‘distress and humiliation’’ this caused the staffer. The statement was slipped under the Stuff press gallery office door on Tuesday afternoon, hours after the royal commission on the March 15 terror attack released its report. The statement did not detail the cost of the settlement.
Mallard would not comment on the matter in the House or to media.
National Party leader Judith Collins, in a statement releasing Mallard’s answers to written questions, said her party had decided Mallard was no longer fit to be Speaker.
‘‘This is unacceptable behaviour from the Speaker ... It is the Speaker’s job to set the standard of behaviour for everyone at Parliament but he has been reckless with his words, resulting in taxpayers footing a bill of more than $330,000 to clean up this mess.
‘‘There has been no formal apology to Parliament for this, despite the National Party encouraging the Speaker to do so on the final sitting day this year.
‘‘Because Mallard has not lived up to the high standards of behaviour that he has set for Parliament, we believe he is no longer fit to hold the role of Speaker.’’
The decision to no longer support Mallard as Speaker will not affect his ability to hold the job. National had supported Labour’s nomination of Mallard to Speaker of the House, when the 53rd Parliament first sat last month.
ACT leader David Seymour said Mallard ‘‘needs to go’’, and he would support any motion of no confidence in the House. ‘‘We knew his behaviour was unprofessional and his refusal to apologise at the time or since was unacceptable for a leader of Parliament but now we have a price on it,’’ Seymour said. ‘‘All around the world people are losing faith in politicians and democracy, the leader of Parliament should be held to higher standards than Trevor Mallard has held himself.’’
Seymour said a motion of no confidence would only be successful if supported by Labour and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ‘‘needs to act’’. Ardern, speaking to reporters in Manawatu¯, said she had not asked for more details about the settlement as it was an issue for Mallard. ‘‘This has always been an issue for Speaker Mallard, ... The Speaker serves on behalf of all of Parliament and therefore his role is independent of us.
She said she became aware of Mallard’s settlement when he advised the leaders of political parties.
Mallard accused the parliamentary staffer of rape in a Radio NZ interview in 2019.
He had been discussing an allegation in the Francis Report on bullying within Parliament and said his impression of reading the allegation was that it concerned a rape: ‘‘We are talking about serious sexual assault, well that, for me, that is rape.’’
The staffer lashed out, saying he was a victim of slanderous comments and felt bullied out of the building, and eventually launched legal action against Mallard.
The Taxpayers’ Union has asked Mallard to reimburse taxpayers for the expense.
‘‘Taxpayers should not have to cover the bill for Trevor Mallard’s careless accusations.
‘‘It is not like making defamatory allegations is part of his job description,’’ spokesman Louis Houlbrooke said.