A rare use of Parliamentary Privilege -- by the Speaker of Parliament

Trevor Mallard has used the legal immunity of parliamentary privilege to say that a worker -- who he'd apologised to for falsely accusing of rape -- had committed sexual assault.

Mallard sought to paint himself on the side of the victims.

Under Parliamentary privilege, he rejected claims he'd destroyed the worker's life, with the claims he made.

National leader Judith Collins says it's an extraordinary display by the biggest bully she's ever seen in Parliament.