Bill English MP
National Party Deputy Leader

2 September 2008

Clark in trouble as attack backfires

National Party Deputy Leader Bill English says Helen Clark’s increasingly erratic behaviour is a sign that she’s in trouble.

“Helen Clark has lashed out at numerous independent agencies, accusing them of bias and strategic leaks. This is the same tactic she employed against the Auditor-General when he probed the legality of Labour’s pledge card spending at the last election.

“Her outburst shows she has no respect for our law enforcement agencies.”

Mr English says the public do not want unsubstantiated attacks on independent agencies.

“What they want is some straight forward answers about why she kept secret for six months her knowledge that Owen Glenn not only believed he had donated to New Zealand First but also that Winston Peters solicited that money.

“They also want to know why her senior colleague, Trevor Mallard, chose to do the same, despite the donation saga never being far from the headlines.

“Surely, those two senior Labour figures must’ve realised the significance of the information they were withholding from the public.”

Mr English says Helen Clark has scored an impressive own goal with her allegations that the Serious Fraud Office alerted National to their looming investigation.

“National received no such tip. It turns out that it was the Prime Minister who was tipped off, not National.”

Mr English says the reality is that National reacted to the letter provided to the Privileges Committee by Owen Glenn. It was the same information that Helen Clark had been sitting on for six months.

“That should tell the public something about where her new standard lies.”

ENDS

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