The pressure is mounting on David Cunliffe's leadership of the Labour Party, as he continues to defend assurances he gave regarding the businessman Donghua Liu, Radio New Zealand reports.
Cunliffe on Wednesday denied having anything to do with Liu's residency, the day before a letter he wrote to the Immigration Service in 2003, on Liu's behalf, became public.
That has embarrassed Cunliffe, but he stood by his initial answer, saying his electorate office had failed to find the letter and told him he had had no involvement with the businessman.
“I gave an honest answer as I recalled it and as my staff recalled it and there is nothing that I or my staff have done that is in anyway untoward or incorrect” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Cunliffe said the letter also made it clear that he did not advocate on Liu's behalf, but simply asked if the businessman could be told how long his application would take. He said he has no recollection of ever meeting Liu, despite signing the letter.