Stop using weasel words, John Key

Prime Minister John Key has to take responsibility for Pansy Wong instead of hiding behind his weasel words, Labour leader Phil Goff said today.

"The case against Pansy Wong continues to grow but John Key is still protecting and defending his MP. This is the same pattern he followed with Bill English and Phil Heatley.

"He says she has already paid a heavy price but that's simply not true.

"She is still an MP. She’s still a member of John Key's caucus and is still in his government.

"To say she is not his problem because she is no longer a minister is simply not good enough.

"What Pansy Wong has done is wrong and John Key is making the problem worse because he won't front up and won’t make her front up either.

Information released so far shows that Pansy Wong used the taxpayer-funded international travel entitlement to further her husband’s business interests overseas, Phil Goff said.

While on a taxpayer-funded trip to China as a private individual, she witnessed one of her husband’s business deals, signing a contract using her ministerial title. On that same trip, she also directly promoted her husband’s hovercraft business interests on a Chinese local government website.

"John Key promised higher standards of behaviour from ministers but in two years we have seen Bill English abuse his housing allowance, Phil Heatley misuse his credit card and Richard Worth had a series of misdemeanors.

"Only Richard Worth has paid a price - Bill English and Phil Heatley are still ministers and Pansy Wong is still a National Party MP.

"John Key has an opportunity to restore public confidence in MPs but has so far failed to do this."

ENDS

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