National MPs called on him to resign over the case. Mallard had apologised to the man for remarks he made in May 2019, in the wake of a report into bullying and harassment at Parliament. Mallard said he thought a rape allegation had been made against a man working at Parliament. It turned out the complaint against the man did not include rape. ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff Trevor Mallard spoke to the governance and administration select committee after the defamation claim was settled. Mallard did not name him, but the man said that people he worked with would have known it was him Mallard was talking about.