Peters ordered to pay $40,000 legal costs

Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has been hit with $40,000 costs for his unsuccessful legal bid to take back the Tauranga seat, the National Party said today.

Mr Peters lost his electoral petition against Bob Clarkson in December claiming he exceeded election expense limits.

Mr Clarkson said today that Mr Peters' claim had always been vexatious and frivolous.

"Mr Peters should now pay up," he said.


Mr Clarkson's lawyers asked for costs of $80,000 or $60,000 to punish a frivolous court action.


In turn Mr Peters' lawyers claimed that the court's decision had been "grossly unfair" without arguing about the level of costs.


Chief High Court Judge Tony Randerson, and Justices Lowell Goddard and Graham Panckhurst said in their written decision on costs that the comments by Mr Peters' counsel were "completely inappropriate", and they did not think the petition was "frivolous, vexatious, or unnecessary".


The case had involved complex interpretations of what should be counted toward election costs which had never been considered by the courts before.


The judges also noted that their final assessment of Mr Clarkson's spending had come in at $18,159, which was "not too far short" of the maximum $20,000 allowed.


However, the justices said the assessment of costs were "straightforward" and should follow normal calculations.


"We order that the petitioner pay to the respondent the sum of $40,000," the judgment said.


- NZPA