Collins pushes on with defamation action

ACC minister Judith Collins. File photo / NZPA

ACC Minister Judith Collins is going ahead with defamation action, but will foot the legal bill herself.

Ms Collins announced last week that she was taking action against Labour MPs Trevor Mallard and Andrew Little, as well as Radio New Zealand, following comments made during an interview with the broadcaster.

The comments related to the leak of a sensitive email sent to Ms Collins by former National Party president Michelle Boag, identifying Ms Boag as a key supporter of former party insider Bronwyn Pullar, the woman at the centre of a major ACC privacy breach.

Ms Collins has denied the leak came from her or her office, and has offered Prime Minister John Key the same assurance.

The minister announced today that she was continuing with the defamation case, but said, although she was entitled to funding, she had decided not to ask Cabinet for it.

"I trust that Mr Mallard and Mr Little are prepared to fund their own defence,'' she said.

"Alternatively, there would be no cost and no case to answer if Mr Mallard, Mr Little and Radio New Zealand told the truth and presented their evidence.

"If they cannot do so, they should apologise and retract their comments.''

Prime Minister John Key said today that Ms Collins had told him last Wednesday that she would not be seeking Cabinet support to fund her case.

Mr Key said that while there was often strong political debate, Ms Collins said the comments had stepped over that line.

"She feels very strongly that [the comments] stepped over the bounds of normal robust discussion about merits of a minister and their performance, to a straight outright allegation of what they are claiming she did.''