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. Winston Peters at the Parliamentary protest earlier this year. 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”. 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.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 03, 2022 14:18 UTC