Parker reports Roy for privilege 'abuse'

State Services Minister David Parker has laid a breach of privilege complaint against ACT MP Heather Roy for naming a man who killed a woman in a car crash when he was a protected witness.

The man's name has been suppressed by the courts.

Mr Parker's office yesterday confirmed he had written to Parliament's Speaker, Margaret Wilson, accusing Ms Roy of abusing parliamentary privilege to name the man, who is subject to extensive suppression orders preventing identification of the man, the victim and other areas of a report into the case.

On Thursday, Ms Roy named the man and accused Mr Parker of sitting on a report that she said raised serious questions.

The Dominion Post reported last week that a former P addict was on parole when, drunk and speeding, he crashed into the car the 20-year-old woman was in.

The report for the Government says police and probation staff contributed to allowing him to remain free, when he should have been sent back to jail for two previous driving offences while on parole.

Mr Parker said the government was seeking to have the suppression orders varied so it could release the report.

Mrs Roy said she only used parliamentary privilege to name the man after "a great deal of thought".

- © Fairfax NZ News