Mallard sued for defamation

When Trevor Mallard and John Tamihere made false allegations against Maori Party organiser Amokura Panoho, I thought they might have been defamatory.

Ms Panoho agrees and is suing them.

Normally Mallard only defames people under parliamentary privilege, but he slipped up on this occasion. Ironic for the Minister in charge of the state sector to be sued for defamation by one of the state servants he is meant to look after.