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Speaker Should Pay His Own $80,000 Legal Bill
Responding to news that Speaker Trevor Mallard’s defamation case has so far cost taxpayers $80,000, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbroke says:
“The comments being challenged in court were way outside of the Speaker’s duties. It’s completely wrong for taxpayers to pay for the legal consequences of his outburst.”
“The $80,000 bill is the equivalent of nine years’ worth of income tax for an average wage earner. The decent thing for Mr Mallard to do is pay the money back out of his own $296,000 salary.”
“Releasing this information on a Friday afternoon seems to be an attempt to minimise news coverage. That’s disgraceful.”
“And why has Mallard given the taxpayer-funded legal work to Kensington Swan – a firm that also does pro bono work for Labour – instead of Crown Law? It looks like it pays to be a law firm with political friends.”
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