The Prime Minister is being sued for $250,000 for calling a West Auckland actor a murderer during the Dover Samuels controversy.
John Yelash's lawyer, Chris LaHatte, has filed papers in the High Court in Auckland.
Mr Yelash says that Helen Clark's comments damaged his reputation and caused him loss.
The alleged slander occurred last August during a row over sacked Maori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels.
The statement of claim says another Labour MP, Chris Carter, approached Mr Yelash to obtain information about Mr Samuels.
A dispute later arose as to who phoned whom, Mr Yelash and Mr Carter each insisting that the other had called first.
When the matter was raised with the PM, she said she preferred Mr Carter's word to that of a murderer.
Mr Yelash promptly denied that he had initiated the call and that he was a murderer. He had in fact been convicted of manslaughter, in 1979, and was imprisoned for 3 1/2 years.
The following day Helen Clark commented, "If Mr Yelash prefers that I call him a manslaughterer, then I will."
The statement of claim says that since his release, Mr Yelash has not been charged with any offences and during his career as an actor made appearances at schools, presenting the works of James K. Baxter.
He claims his version of the phone call is correct and the "murderer" description is incorrect.
PM sued for defamation
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