Winston sues Mark Richardson

Stuff reports:

NZ First leader Winston Peters has lodged defamation proceedings against MediaWorks after former Black Cap Mark Richardson likened him to pus on a morning TV show.

The broadcaster has come out swinging in response, accusing Peters of trying to shut down legitimate opinion in election year.

Richardson’s comments on Newshub’s The AM Show came as he questioned Peters’ decision to attend a public meeting in Woodville to discuss the closure of the Manawatu Gorge.

Peters told Newsroom he had filed defamation proceedings against Richardson over the remarks.

“I’m not going to have people defaming me in this campaign: I was on The AM Show, the guy likened me to white pus and cancer cells and what have you, and I thought, ‘Sorry, I’m not taking that, I’m suing you’ – it’s all filed.

It does seem a bit thin skinned. You don’t normally sue someone for calling you names.

“When they’ve got past about $60,000 of legal expenses they might come to their senses.”

Which suggests it is more about intimidating the media, rather than actually winning in court.