KEY POINTS:
Prime Minister Helen Clark says the Government does not plan to take legal or any other action over allegations in the latest Investigate magazine.
Among allegations the magazine reported were:
* a bestiality film was played at now-Police Commissioner Howard Broad's home in 1981. He said this did
happen but he did not approve and did not watch it.
* Mr Broad groped female officers -- something he strongly denied.
* There was a culture of police corruption in Christchurch and Dunedin -- drug-taking, rape, child-sex rings, and orgies.
* Ministers covered up criminal allegations, including rape claims. Christchurch MP Tim Barnett went to see the woman making the allegations in jail but her claims were vague and she declined to put her name to them.
Other more extreme allegations cannot be published for legal reasons.
Miss Clark said there were no plans to take legal action over the allegations.
"I've always had better things to do with my money, sometimes though people go over a line which is very clear, and I am sure all media are mindful of that," she told reporters this morning.
"In my position in 26-1/2 years of public life I have had so many people tell lies about me and have them published that I would end up in court constantly prosecuting if I was to let these things bother me."
Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen was accused of being part of a cover-up and a photograph of his face was splashed across Investigate's cover.
He told reporters he could not remember every complaint made to him 20-odd years ago but accepted he may have circulated a report into the allegations the article referred to.
"The allegation against me is that I simply circulated an independent report. Well so? What follows from that? Nothing."
Dr Cullen and Police Minister Annette King said they did not recall ever been told about some of the other allegations including that police visited brothels.
"He (Investigate's Ian Wishart) sort of tries to stop short of linking me to various other strange things that were supposed to have gone on," Dr Cullen said.
"I don't take any notice of Mr Wishart; he lives in this sort of strange world of conspiracism and weird things and I am really sorry you are all taking any notice of it.
"I don't think he's worth it."
Miss Clark said she had no reason to doubt that Mr Idour brought the film to the party.
- NZPA
