Don Brash MP
National Party Leader
06 May 2006

Brash calls for select committee to investigate leak

National Party Leader Don Brash is calling for a select committee inquiry into the leak of confidential Budget documents.

“On Wednesday we saw the most serious, most damaging, most confidence-destroying leak of commercially confidential material from the Cabinet room in the history of this country.”

Dr Brash made the comments in a speech to the Party’s Canterbury/Westland Regional Conference in Picton today.

“A billion-dollar leak of Budget confidential information that could only have come from one of Helen Clark’s inner circle.

“The Government’s bumbling has needlessly worsened the situation for investors, and shows the Government’s complete lack of understanding about how the economy and the capital markets work.

“And Helen Clark can hardly complain, because it’s she who’s set the ground rules; it’s she who’s set the appallingly low standards for this administration.”

Before his speech Dr Brash said National would write to the Commerce Select Committee about the need for an inquiry.

“Parliament and the public must have an opportunity to assess for themselves what went on, who was responsible and the role of Ministers in briefing officials handling sensitive documents.

“Parliament trusts the executive to conduct business in a seemly manner. A leak like this is an insult to the political process,” he said.

“Even when the source of the leak is identified, there will still be a number of questions that both sides of the House will have an interest in making sure are answered,” said Dr Brash.

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