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Ex-MP Matt Robson yesterday apologised for any offence he might have caused as he was grilled by his former peers about a newsletter he wrote linking United Future leader Peter Dunne with the liquor and tobacco industries.
Mr Robson was hauled before Parliament's privileges committee, which he once
chaired, after Mr Dunne complained to Speaker Margaret Wilson that he had accused him of corruption in an email newsletter.
In his newsletter, Mr Robson said the liquor and tobacco industries supported Mr Dunne and he had "always faithfully delivered his vote for their interests".
Act leader Rodney Hide told Mr Robson that last sentence had delivered the "killer" blow.
But Mr Robson told the committee he had not accused Mr Dunne of corruption, but "inconsistency", given that he said he was a supporter of families and family values.
He had used the term "support" because liquor industry lobbyists had told him they found Mr Dunne "more reasonable and in tune" than he was.
"They say good things about him."
He had not said Mr Dunne received money from the liquor and tobacco industries.
Mr Robson said what he had argued was no different from other MPs accusing him of supporting trade union policy because of his past union associations.
Mr Dunne had also called him "mentally deranged, but I didn't go to the privileges committee".
"To suggest that you're a Stalinist, that you associate with dope smokers .. there wasn't much evidence probably for that particular press statement of Peter's but he made it ... I didn't go lay a complaint, so when he laid a complaint I was a bit surprised."
He said readers of his newsletter were intelligent enough to realise it was commentary and a political attack.
"And we're talking about a small audience ... It goes out to members of the Progressive Party and it goes on to Scoop."
However, Mr Robson said if there was an area where Mr Dunne felt "I've suggested he's taken money, of course I would apologise for offence to that quite happily".
"I do regret writing it ... it has taught me a lesson, not to write things at 11 o'clock at night and perhaps to wait till the morning and then see if there's going to be anything in there which may have the slightest possibility of offending somebody.
"I'm quite happy to make an apology if it caused offence but also as I say to tag that it's a political statement not a personal attack."
The privileges committee, which is made up of senior MPs, went behind closed doors to deliberate. It will report its findings to the Speaker.
The committee has wide powers to call witnesses and dole out punishments. It recently fined Television New Zealand for its treatment of former chief executive Ian Fraser after he gave evidence to another committee.
Mr Robson chaired the committee between 2002 and 2005. He lost his seat at the last election.
- NZPA
