Labour deputy leader Michael Cullen said he stood by everything he said in Parliament this afternoon.

"At some point it becomes utterly unacceptable to withdraw for pointing out the truth about National Party lies," Dr Cullen said.

"Max Bradford stated in Parliament that in today's Evening Post, 'Helen Clark promised that a Labour-Alliance government will base their industrial policies around union domination of New Zealand workplaces'.

"No such statement occurs anywhere in the Evening Post. Helen Clark never said any such thing. Nor is it Labour policy.

"It is intolerable that lies of this sort can be stated in the House. It is an absurdity that the person who pointed that out is the one who is expected to apologise.

"I accept the Speaker had no option to do what he did. Sadly, National Party lies left me with no choice either."

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