Newsroom won't say why an investigative journalist was initially barred from tomorrow's state apology to survivors of Abuse in Care. 

Speaker Gerry Brownlee initially declined Aaron Smale's accreditation application, citing undisclosed issues with his conduct on a prior occasion.

But after pressure, Brownlee has allowed Smale to attend, if accompanied by a Newsroom journalist.

Co-editor Mark Jennings says Brownlee probably didn't have the full story.

"He hadn't witnessed any of it himself, he hadn't reviewed any tapes - he was going on the say of other people."

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