Wednesday 20th Oct 1999
Richard Prebble
Media Release -- Governance & Constitution

"It's now up to Helen Clark to show why the electorate can and should trust her. This election is as much about trust as it is about change, said ACT Leader Hon Richard Prebble today.

"When a would be Prime Minister, uses her position to make scandalous false accusations against Doctor Joe Brownlee, it raises questions about her fitness to govern.

"I would like to take this opportunity to remind the country that Helen Clark was savage in her condemnations of Jenny Shipley, when the Prime Minister made just a slip of the tongue over the subject of her dinner conversations.

"Jenny Shipley's remarks hurt no one. It's my understanding that the doctor who is considered to be one of New Zealand's finest surgeons has now lost many of his patients through Helen Clark's defamatory remarks.

"Helen Clark refused to withdraw or apologise, until the Courts forced her to. I believe the real reason for her attacks was because the surgeon was operating in a private hospital and it was a ripe opportunity for Helen Clark to push her left wing ideologies."

"Helen Clark has apologised for her statements outside parliament, but her statements still remain in Hansard. I ask when did Helen Clark discover her statements were false and has she deliberately waited until Parliament was dissolved, so as to avoid the embarrassment of a breach of privilege. I believe Helen Clark should now write to the Speaker and formally ask for her remarks to be withdrawn from Hansard.

"New Zealanders must now query if Helen Clark did know her accusations were false, and she didn't take the first opportunity to retract them; it raises serious questions about her integrity." said Hon Richard Prebble.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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