Ms Leary made the comment at a select committee meeting in June.
She asked Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey, how he responded to concerns from "the OutLine trans group, who are concerned that one of the government members, Tanya Unkovich, has been emailing NGOs about Gumboot Friday, including on May 22, 2024, and that she is a known anti-trans activist".
New Zealand First laid a complaint with Parliament’s Speaker Gerry Brownlee about the comment, which it considered unparliamentary, and party leader Winston Peters last week asked Mr Brownlee for a progress report on the complaint "about the behaviour of a member of Parliament for the Labour Party".
During question time yesterday, Ms Leary received permission to make a personal explanation.
"I wish to apologise to Tanya Unkovich for comments I made at a meeting of the health committee on Wednesday, 19 June 2024."
Ms Unkovich was in the House when Ms Leary made her statement.
