Minister Calls For Responsible Action On Sexual Allegation Claims

Minister of Defence, Paul East, is calling on Labour's Ross Robertson to take up with the Human Rights Commission his latest allegation of sexual harassment in the Navy.

"I have earlier acknowledged the seriousness of such claims and rather than trying to grab a sensational headline by tabling a document in Parliament today, I would have thought Mr Robertson would have acted more responsibly by referring this latest allegation directly to the Human Rights Commission, which he knows is already investigating such issues.

"Mr Robertson unfortunately has a record of using these issues for cheap political point-scoring and personal attacks directed at me, rather than acting responsibly and assisting the Human Rights Commission in its work.

"I would like to think that this latest claim has more substance than his recent claims about the payment of 'hush money' by the New Zealand Defence Force to complainants of alleged sexual harassment," said Mr East.