Media Statement – New Zealand Labour

Hon Dr Michael Cullen - Deputy Prime Minister

15 October 2008

More Proof Key Can’t Be Trusted

Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen today said that John Key must come clean and clear up the confusion between what he said during the TVNZ Leaders' debate yesterday and what he told Pita Sharples in private. Last night he claimed he had not promised Maori Party Co-leader Pita Sharples that the Maori seats would not be removed under a National government.

"Mr Key told New Zealanders that Dr Sharples had "got it wrong" when he was challenged last night over what he really told Dr Sharples. He also said that it was "not correct" that he had told Dr Sharples not to worry about the Maori seats issue," said Dr Cullen.

But tonight Dr Sharples said on Alt TV “I was not wrong, when he first mentioned that I rang my Chief of Staff to make sure that he did say it, he confirmed it, he was with me, because straight after he said it Bill English changed the subject to something else. The way it all started was that I was explaining what would be our bottom line, that the seats cannot go unless Maori say so, and I kept saying that, and in the end he sort of agreed and agreed and agreed, so maybe in his own head he thought he hadn’t agreed, but he had.”

"Dr Sharples is clear about what Mr Key told him. Mr Key is slippery and has been caught again just as he was over how many TranzRail shares he had. He needs to tell New Zealand what the real story is," Michael Cullen said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media