Winston Peters visits protesters at Parliament. Photo / RNZ
Winston Peters visits protesters at Parliament. Photo / RNZ
Taxpayers have forked out $55,000 in legal bills after former Speaker Trevor Mallard trespassed Winston Peters from Parliament, including about $10,000 for Peters’ own legal costs.
The NZ First Party leader and former deputy prime minister was among several high-profile people who were issued trespass notices for attending the 23-dayanti-vaccine-mandate occupation on Parliament’s grounds in February and early March.
The notices - that were quickly withdrawn - included two-year bans and also went to former Act leader Rodney Hide, former Māori Party co-leader Marama Fox, former NZ First list MP Darroch Ball and former National MP – now Democracy NZ leader – Matt King.
They were widely ridiculed at the time, particularly by the Opposition, and even Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern “shared thoughts” with Mallard about his decision.
Winston Peters at the Parliamentary protest earlier this year. Photo / file
Within a day of issuing them, Mallard withdrew the orders, saying in a statement at the time: “The advice I have received is that it is no longer necessary to retain trespass notices for these five people”.
Despite this, Peters’ lawyers contacted the Speakers’ office saying legal action would be pursued if Mallard couldn’t provide: “Specific explanations, documents, and referenced authority with which he, in a free and democratic society, trespassed hundreds of New Zealand citizens from the nation’s Parliament”.
More than two months later – a day after Mallard vacated the Speaker’s chair – the Speaker’s Office issued a public apology to Peters.
The statement said the trespass notice and warning was “unreasonable and irrational” and was an “unjustified limitation on Mr Peters’ right to freedom of movement”.
The media release noted that this statement was issued while Mallard was Speaker.
But it was publicly released by new Speaker Adrian Rurawhe – on his second day in the job.
Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions from National’s shadow leader of the House show the Government had to spend just over $45,000 in legal costs on the case against Mallard, and a further nearly $10,000 to cover Peters’ legal costs.
Former Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Bishop called it “yet another insult for taxpayers” and a “final parting gift” before Mallard departed to start his new role as Ambassador to Ireland.
The High Court ruling, delivered two weeks ago and mere hours before Mallard made his farewell valedictory speech to Parliament, found trespassing Peters was “unreasonable” and “irrational”.
Peters said the ruling “highlights the unjustified contempt with which all parliamentarians treated those peaceful protesters who were there rightfully, and just wanted to be heard”.
The Speaker’s office declined to comment.
This bill tops the $330,000 in legal fees taxpayers also had to cough up after Mallard falsely accused a Parliamentary staff member of rape.
