There are doubts Trevor Mallard will properly apologise when he appears before a select committee today.

The Speaker will answer questions about spending more than $300,000 taxpayer money fighting a defamation case.

That was after he wrongly called a Parliamentary staffer a rapist.

Political commentator Bryce Edwards told Tim Dower it's not really in Mallard's nature to apologise - and he's avoided it so far.

“Every way he's dealt with this scandal has shown his shortcomings as a Speaker, and as a politician, so he's unlikely to change - although he's under immense pressure now.”

Edwards says Labour has a majority on the committee so will try to exert their numbers to keep this as dull as possible.

"Labour won't want to look like they're trying to suppress this debate - but they're going to have to use every trick in the book to try and do so."

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