Garrett told make peace with public

Act MP David Garrett. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Act MP David Garrett's assault conviction is a matter for his party and he has to make peace with the public, Prime Minister John Key says.

Last night Campbell Live revealed Mr Garrett has an assault conviction dating back to 2002 when he was a lawyer in Tonga.

It followed a bar brawl between Mr Garrett and the head of psychiatry at a Tongan Hospital, Mapa Puloka.

Mr Garrett said he was fined $10 over the incident and Dr Puloka $100.

"Dr Puloka hit me once from behind, breaking my jaw in two places," Mr Garrett said in a statement.

He was treated in Middlemore Hospital and subsequently laid a complaint with Tongan police.

"(Dr Puloka) then made a complaint about me and claimed that, after he hit me, I broke loose from a bouncer and hit him in the eye, causing damage."

Mr Garrett said Dr Puloka's claim was not true. NZPA has been unable reach Dr Puloka in Tonga.

Mr Garrett is appealing the conviction.

He is the Act Party's law and order spokesman, the driving force behind the three strikes legislation and campaigned on tougher punishment for criminals.

Mr Key, who only learned of the conviction last night, said it was up to the Act Party to deal with the situation but he was confident of its continued support.

"They have very strong values in terms of their economic philosophy...we're confident of their five votes until the election.

Mr Key said the Government supported the three strikes legislation because it wanted to take the worst violent offenders off the streets and it worked well.

"The fact that Mr Garrett may or may not have a conviction for something is a matter that he has to deal with. He needs to make his peace with the public."

Mr Key's advice for Mr Garrett was to front up to media over the issue.

"I always think it's better to, you can run but you can't hide from the media."

Labour leader Phil Goff said Mr Garrett should have been upfront about his conviction.

"How can you be the law and order spokesman for a party and not acknowledge to the public that you have a conviction for assault?"

ACT leader Rodney Hide said he knew about Mr Garrett's conviction before he stood at the 2008 election.

"He explained the circumstances, they seemed perfectly reasonable to me. David Garrett is a person that's had a rough background, he worked on the oil rigs for 10 years.

"Anyone can turn their life around," he told Campbell Live.

Mr Garrett was in trouble last year for making lewd comments to a woman staff member in Parliament.

He lives near Helensville, near Auckland, with his wife and two children.

The three strikes legislation ensures repeat offenders receive maximum sentences with no parole after being convicted with certain violent offences.

- NZPA