Senior ministers savage David Benson-Pope's accuser

The Government yesterday fired a blistering attack at National MP Judith Collins for leading the charge against David Benson-Pope and calling him a pervert.

Senior female ministers Annette King, Ruth Dyson and Lianne Dalziel used Parliament's general debate yesterday to make scathing speeches about Ms Collins' tactics in the Benson-Pope "shower girl" allegations.

"She has been prepared to expose David's wife and children to unjustified personal abuse and public attention," Ms King said. "She has laughed and she has celebrated as she made her despicable comments of 'pervert' and 'dirty old man'."

Ms Collins denied ever calling the Social Development Minister a dirty old man.

She told the Herald the Government's attack had been pathetic.

"The only thing that surprised me was the crudeness of it. It is very difficult for them on the one hand to take the moral high ground about not using personal abuse, and then to subject me to it."

The attack on Ms Collins comes just two days after Acting Prime Minister Michael Cullen made veiled threats about "dirt" the Government had on Ms Collins.

Most Government ministers and MPs stayed in the House for the Benson-Pope debate yesterday, but the man himself was nowhere to be seen. His office said he was attending to portfolio work.