Dr Brash Confirms Knowledge Of Pamphlets

Thursday, 8 September 2005, 12:09 am
Article: Kevin List

Transcript: Dr Brash Confirms Knowledge Of Anti-Labour/Anti-Green Pamphlet Campaign

This morning, when interviewed on Auckland's BFM, National Leader Dr Don Brash confirmed that he had met with the Exclusive Brethren who are behind an anti-Labour and anti-Green Party campaign. The leaflet campaign, which is already estimated to have cost half a million dollars, is expected to continue next week.

Noelle McCarthy: Is it true that you met with the Exclusive Brethren who were behind the anti-Government leaflet campaign?

Dr Brash: I can't tell you exactly when I met with [the Exclusive Brethren]. I made that quite clear it was certainly within the last month and they told me they were utterly fed up with the Government and I agreed with them

Noelle McCarthy: There was talk that there was some prayer at this meeting – was that the truth?

Dr Brash: There was no prayer at that meeting, or at least not that I could observe. There may have been people praying silently. The [NZ]Herald report suggesting that we met for prayer is quite wrong. I didn't say that at any point. What I did say was that they would pray for me and pray for the National Party

Noelle McCarthy: Apart from saying that they would pray for you - was anything else of a campaigning nature discussed?

Dr Brash: Oh yes, they indicated they were going to campaign against the Government and were going to issue a pamphlet – but I did not read those pamphlets and have absolutely no part in reading them, or writing them, funding them or distributing them. It is high time that the media pointed that out. Labour and the Greens have been arguing that the National Party was behind those pamphlets and we were not. The people who were behind it have now said who they are.

Noelle McCarthy: So you were aware that this group was going to use other methods besides the power of prayer to support the National Party

Dr Brash: I knew they were going to issue some pamphlets attacking the Government. And I said 'that's tremendous - I'm delighted about that because the Government is lousy and should be changed.'

ENDS

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