Labour has confirmed that documents on its information technology strategy accidentally sent to the Government came from David Cunliffe's office, not Clare Curran's as widely reported yesterday.

Curran, the Dunedin South MP, yesterday gave reporters copies of an email saying the documents had been accidentally sent from her office to that of Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams.

The documents contained many policy ideas and speech notes signalling plans to announce free computers for pupils in low-decile schools.

Labour's chief press secretary, Simon Cunliffe, last night confirmed that the email sent in error came not from Curran's office but from that of the Labour leader.

Simon Cunliffe would not say who the staffer was.

Curran today denied that the media had been misled, saying they had not listened to what she had said.

She had decided to "take responsibility" for the email breach even though she had no authority over the staff member involved.

"Because I don't want a staff member to get the blame for a mistake, and I think that's really important," she said.

"I think a member of Parliament or minister or whatever should take responsibility. Nobody forced me to do it.

"The judgment was made that it would be used against us, and so I've fronted up and taken it on the front foot and taken responsibility for that."