Labour Leader Helen Clark and MP Phil Goff this evening met with President Bill Clinton.

Helen Clark said the discussion with Mr Clinton focused on both the crisis in East Timor and Mr Clinton's economic and social policies.

"On East Timor, the President showed a real concern for what had happened. We are convinced that the United States will play a full part in ensuring that East Timor now gets a chance to develop as an independent nation.

"Mr Clinton spoke with us about the 'third way' policies his administration has followed. The Labour Party in New Zealand has watched closely the way in which this Democrat administration in the United States has combined common-sense economics and progressive social policies in many areas.

"The discussion reinforced our view that there are viable alternatives to new right economics and that one need look no further than the United States under the present administration to find them," Helen Clark said.

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