14 Nov 2012

Collins and Labour MPs settle defamation case

4:10 pm on 14 November 2012

ACC Minister Judith Collins and Labour Party MPs Trevor Mallard and Andrew Little have settled a dispute over defamation claims.

Ms Collins says she was defamed by the two MPs on Radio New Zealand in comments about who leaked the details of the ACC claimant Bronwyn Pullar to the media.

The three MPsfinished a closed-doors settlement hearing in the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday afternoon, saying the dispute has been resolved.

However, they say they continue to differ over whether the remarks made by the Labour MPs implied that Ms Collins falsely assured the house that neither she nor her office was responsible for the leak.

In a joint statement from the trio, Mr Mallard and Mr Little say they told the Minister that was not their intention.

She says she is not pursuing her original defamation case against Radio New Zealand.