Court action against Green Party co-leader Russel Norman has been dropped by Conservative Party leader Colin Craig for alleged defamation after both parties agreed not to take it any further.
Dr Norman made a comment at this year's Big Gay Out festival in Auckland where he told a crowd Mr Craig "thinks a woman's place is in the kitchen and a gay man's place is in the closet".
The defamation claim was widened following a further statement made on television by Dr Norman in which he said: "I will stand up to Colin Craig on principle because I just do not believe in the kind of New Zealand he wants where we try to vilify people because of who they love."
In a joint statement today, the parties say they have agreed to resolve their dispute and "neither party considers there is value in continuing with the dispute in the courts".
"Both accept that the comments were made on a political occasion, but they disagree about what the comments were understood to mean."
There is no issue around damages because Mr Craig never sought them and both parties have agreed to bear their own costs.
Both parties set up fundraising campaigns to help pay for their respective court costs.
Mr Craig says some of the pledges made were on the basis of the court case going ahead, so in most cases no money had been donated.
However, those that had given money would get it back if they wanted, otherwise it would be treated as a general donation to the party.
A spokesman for the Greens says the party is considering what to do with the money raised.
3 News
source: newshub archive
