KEY POINTS:
National MP Tau Henare has been told he has to help in a private assault prosecution against Cabinet minister Trevor Mallard, or face charges himself.
In Wellington District Court yesterday, Mr Mallard pleaded not guilty to assault.
The prosecution related to a parliamentary bust-up in which Mr Mallard threw a punch at Mr Henare, after comments about his personal life.
Mr Mallard later apologised.
Mr Henare said he would not take the matter further.
But Wellington accountant Graham McCready launched a private prosecution after police rejected his initial complaint, deeming he was not an interested party in the fracas.
Radio New Zealand this morning reported contents of a fax Mr McCready sent to Mr Henare.
In it he asked Mr Henare to supply a statement and said without it the case was unlikely to go to trial.
He said there would be "consequences" if the statement was not provided by noon on Friday.
The fax said Mr Henare could be charged with obstruction of justice and being an accessory after the fact.
"You are not in the Black Power or Mongrel Mob you are not a narc, you are a taxpayer," Radio New Zealand said quoting the fax.
"I ask you to stand tall and do your duty."
Mr Henare this morning said he had not seen the letter yet and would be talking to lawyers.
"I am keeping my options open, I am looking at the legal advice that's being given and then we'll go from there."
He did not know if he would end up having to appear in court. "I wouldn't have the faintest idea."
Mr Henare would not be drawn on how he felt about possibly being compelled to appear.
Asked if had anything to fear from his part in the incident being examined in court, he said he did not.
Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday said private prosecutions were a concern for public figures, who were often targeted.
"If we're entering a more litigious age, then anybody in public life from media figure to fashion designer to politician, high profile person, is vulnerable to such action," she said at her post-Cabinet press conference.
A status hearing for Mr Mallard is scheduled for December 18.
Last month Mr Mallard apologised to Parliament for the fight in the lobby.
Speaker Margaret Wilson said she would not ask the privileges committee to hear a complaint about it from Act MP Rodney Hide.
Miss Clark punished Mr Mallard last month by moving him off the front bench and taking away his economic development, Rugby World Cup and sport portfolios.
However, he remained in Cabinet and was given substantive jobs to do including that of minister for the environment.
- NZPA
