Grant ROBERTSON
Labour MP

21 April 2014
MEDIA STATEMENT

Collins’ memory recovery raises further concerns

Judith Collins sudden memory of briefing the New Zealand Ambassador to China about her dinner with a Chinese border official and her husband's fellow Oravida directors raises further concerns about exactly what was discussed, Labour MP Grant Robertson says.

"This clearly was not a private dinner as Judith Collins has claimed. Not only was there a senior Chinese official present, but Judith Collins briefed the New Zealand Ambassador about it.

“In Parliament last Thursday the minister conveniently forgot about the briefing. Once again we are having to drag details out of Judith Collins about her visit to China.

"The minister needs to reveal exactly what she told the ambassador about the dinner. If this really was just friends having a private dinner, why would she brief the Ambassador about what had happened and who was there?

“The Ambassador himself also needs to release any file notes he made about the dinner so we can get to the bottom of what was discussed.

"Just meeting with the official gives rise to a conflict of interest for Judith Collins on what was meant to be a taxpayer-funded trip about justice issues. But given Oravida's difficulties with getting products into China, its obvious this dinner was much more about Oravida than it was about friends having dinner.

“Its time for Judith Collins to front up about this meeting and give up on her misleading and convenient memory lapses. John Key needs to step in and get the whole story from her.

“It appears each new revelation gives him more reason to sack her as a minister," Grant Robertson says.

ENDS

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