Phil Goff
Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Trade

6 December 2012

Personal abuse no substitute for answers to legitimate questions

Parliament is the place where Ministers are accountable for their actions and for the management of their portfolios. Murray McCully should answer the questions asked of him rather than resorting to personal abuse of the questioner, says Labour’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson Phil Goff.

“I have raised in Parliament legitimate questions about whether any possible conflicts of interest arose from Murray McCully’s appointments. That is my responsibility as a Member of Parliament and I will continue to do my job.

“Murray McCully’s personal abuse yesterday and extravagant demands today for me to be sacked are no substitute for answering the straightforward questions I have put to him about how he is doing his job.

“The Minister should simply front up and answer the questions I put to him today and yesterday. Personal attacks are no substitute for providing straight answers to those questions.

“Hysterical responses from both Murray McCully and John Key in recent days do not reflect well on them. They must expect to be held to account,” Mr Goff said.

ENDS

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