Prime Minister Helen Clark's credibility is looking shaky as she scrambles for excuses to avoid holding high profile MP John Tamihere to account, says Roger Sowry.

"Miss Clark has clearly found some dirt on Mr Tamihere's trust. But instead of fronting up to one of her MPs who has embarrassed Labour, she is trying to shift the focus to waffle about government contracts.

"On 14 March she told the House she had received comment from Mr Tamihere on various allegations and that her concerns were allayed.

"In the Evening Post on 15 March she repeated she had Mr Tamihere's 'assurances on the matter'.

"Again on 30 March she told the House that Mr Tamihere 'assured me that he had not carried out any conduct at the Waipareira Trust that could bring into disrepute his family, himself, the Labour Party or the Government'.

"But yesterday morning on Newstalk ZB she refused to back Mr Tamihere - one of her own MPs - and said she did not know if there were irregularities under his management.

"Today Miss Clark is shifting the goalposts, but in the process she is tarring all social service providers, like Barnardos, IHC and Plunket, with the dirty Tamihere brush," says Mr Sowry.

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