Hon Murray McCully
Minister of Foreign Affairs

6 December 2012

Make Goff apologise or sack him - McCully

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully is challenging the Labour Leader to make Phil Goff apologise or sack him following yesterday’s failed attack on Auckland lawyer Peter Kiely.

“Yesterday Mr Goff made allegations designed to damage the reputation of a respected citizen. His allegations were factually wrong, yet he has refused to apologise,” Mr McCully says.

“Mr Shearer needs to ask himself whether that is a standard he is prepared to accept.

“By any ordinary standard, Mr Kiely is due an apology. If Mr Shearer fails to act, he is effectively endorsing Mr Goff’s cowardly and reckless behaviour. He needs to require Mr Goff to apologise, or stand him down.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media

World Refugee Day:
Are We Doing Our Bit?

On World Refugee Day, Thursday June 20th, Doing Our Bit will officially launch a campaign to double New Zealand’s UNHCR Refugee Resettlement Quota...

New Zealand’s low refugee intake is not a new issue. In February a NZ Herald editorial commented that our intake was ‘paltry’, remarking that ‘surely we could do more’. In April, Amnesty International described the quota as ‘tiny'.

“Despite being a small country in the middle of the South Pacific, New Zealand prides itself on being hospitable. We are friendly to overseas visitors and we see ourselves as punching above our weight in international affairs,” said Murdoch Stephens, coordinator of Doing Our Bit.

“However, in terms of accepting refugees New Zealand is clearly not doing our share.” More>>