19 July 2005

Stop Dodging on Iraq, Dodgy Doctor Don

New Zealand Young Labour

"Don Brash: it's time to come clean about whether you would have sent Kiwi troops to fight in the war in Iraq. It's not a hard question, the answer is either 'yes' or 'no'," said Conor Roberts, President of Young Labour today.

Mr Roberts was speaking in the aftermath of a terrible 3 News interview on 19 July 2005, when Brash failed to answer the question at least six times.

"Our focus on Brash's position is now even stronger, in the wake his repeated failures to answer questions on 3 News about what he would have done.

He noted that Don Brash was being dishonest about his party's position on the issue, which has been highlighted in recent days by a postering campaign in New Zealand's major cities.

"The posters show up the fact that Don Brash said he would have sent young Kiwis to take part in the combat phase of the war.

"Overwhelmingly New Zealanders thought that the war in Iraq was the wrong thing to do, and the Labour government agrees with them.

"It was painful watching Don Brash on 3 News last night repeatedly fail to answer a simple question about whether he would have sent troops.

"In the absence of a clear answer, the best thing we have to go on is his statement on Tuesday the 28th of October 2003 to Radio NZ's 'nine-to-noon' show when he said: 'I would have done what President Bush did'.

"Judging by his comments tonight he is being deceitful about what he would have done. New Zealanders want leaders they can trust to do what they say, and it is clear Brash is not one of those, if only because he can't seem to say anything.

"It's easy enough to say 'Yes' or 'No' in response to a direct question from a journalist. If Don Brash can't manage that, he needs to find a different profession.

"I challenge Dodgy Doctor Don to come clean and tell New Zealanders the truth about how he would have done what President Bush did," Roberts concluded.

ENDS

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