No excuses for Garrett

Act MP David Garrett has blamed his inappropriate comments relating to a female Act staff member on the steep learning curve he has been on since being an oil rig worker for 10 years - but omitted to mention that he has subsequently practised as an employment lawyer.

Mr Garrett has apologised for making the remarks.

He referred to time practising law in Tonga, saying he had learned "the kind of thing that might have been okay in a law firm in Tonga is not okay in Parliament".

Act leader Rodney Hide has also spoken of Mr Garrett's "rough, tough background".

Mr Garrett actually specialised in employment law for 15 years before becoming an MP. He has previously told Parliament he was an "aggressive employment lawyer who knew my stuff"and got results for employees "like shooting fish in a barrel, because of hapless employers who got one little detail...wrong".