‘Made a mistake’: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern continues to back President Trevor Mallard

President Trevor Mallard made sure there was a clause allowing him to answer to Parliament included in his settlement agreement with the man who was allegedly a rapist.

The clause means you can share details of the defamation case when you appear before a select committee on Wednesday and why you revealed it cost taxpayers more than $ 330,000 in legal costs.

Mallard will appear at the special meeting of the Select Committee on Government and Administration to answer questions about the pay after being sued for making the false accusations about the former parliamentary staff member.

The spokesperson told the Herald that he fought for a clause to be included in the agreement that would allow him to remain responsible for parliamentary processes such as select committees and written questions.

On Friday, Mallard responded to a written question from the National Party about the defamation lawsuit: The plaintiff received a one-time payment of $ 158,000 and spent $ 175,641 on legal fees.

National House shadow leader Chris Bishop said taxpayers deserved some answers about why they were paying the bill for his “reckless comments” and why he would not resign as president.

Bishop is not on that committee, but he will replace Nicola Grigg. Labor has a majority on the committee.

“So far there have been no apologies in Parliament, no statements, and no accountability. This is not enough,” Bishop said.

After Mallard released details of the court costs, National and Act said they had lost trust in the Speaker and asked him to resign. Both parties voted for Mallard before details of the case were released.

With the absolute Labor majority in the House, a vote of no confidence would only pass if Mallard lost the confidence of his own party.

But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern continued to back Mallard despite her “mistake.”

“My point of view is obviously, and he agrees, he made a mistake. No one is debating that. But does that change my opinion that he is the right person for the job? No, it is not.

“We also have to recognize that the role of Spokesperson, despite being independent from the Government, is a politicized position. There will be very few Spokespersons at some point without an Opposition party having called a vote of confidence.”

Ardern said he had spoken to Mallard about making sure he remained accountable to Parliament and that it was the decision to appear before the Select Committee on Wednesday.

Mallard is a Labor MP, but the president is an independent position outside the government.

The Mallard case was handled by Vice President Anne Tolley, then a national MP, and it was felt that because the spokesperson is the minister responsible for parliamentary services, the same rules should apply as for ministers.

The process for Mallard’s legal costs was approved by Tolley instead of the Cabinet.

The Weekend Herald revealed that the rules on when MPs can claim legal costs when they are being sued were expanded by the president in August, so damages and settlements may come from the public purse.

Such requests must be signed by the party leader, the president and the executive director of the Parliamentary Service.

It brings the rules for ordinary MPs in line with ministers, however only ministers are subject to the public disclosure rules under the Official Information Act. Other MPs and parliamentary services are exempt from having to disclose when legal costs are claimed.

This is a separate process from the one the president followed, as Crown Law’s legal council indicated that his stature was aligned with a cabinet minister who has always been able to have settlements covered by taxpayers.