Don Brash MP
National Party Leader

09 May 2006

Anti-American sentiment alive and well

National Party Leader Don Brash is disappointed that Foreign Minister Winston Peters appears to have jumped onto Labour's anti-American bandwagon.

"It's been only a few months since Mr Peters promised to work on repairing the damage done by Labour to our relationship with the US. Just today, when there's evidence of a thaw - Labour and Mr Peters have resuscitated their anti-American theme.

"New Zealand trade officials were present at the lunch in New York and that lunch was organised by Julian Robertson - who has previously given money to both Labour and National.

"National has nothing to hide on this issue, given that Helen Clark stole the pledge card idea from Tony Blair and even dines with his spin doctors.

"What worries me most is the damage Mr Peters might do to our relationship with the US if he joins Labour's anti-American crusade - just when things were looking more positive.

"The e-mails which Mr Peters claims to have in his possession all seem less than current and there's a vast difference between an e-mail in which a couple of American chaps offered to help out, versus an unprecedented and possibly malicious leak of sensitive Budget material worth $1.8 billion," says Dr Brash.

"Mr Peters has merely provided Labour with a convenient distraction to its hugely damaging Budget leak, the question now will be at what cost?"

Ends

© Scoop Media