The Prime Minister has dismissed journalist Nicky Hager's claims as a “smear campaign” against Judith Collins.
John Key appeared on Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report programme this morning to address claims made in Hager’s book Dirty Politics, which was released last week. In it, Hager claims senior National Party ministers and staff were involved in the leaking of potentially damaging information about political opponents to right-wing bloggers.
Mr Key told Morning Report he hasn’t asked Ms Collins about the matter.
“At the end of the day we’re five weeks out from an election, people can see that Nicky Hager’s made a whole lot of things up in his book, (they) can see he can’t back a lot of them up,” he said. “People can see this is a smear campaign by Nicky Hager.”
Key is also standing by his former staff member Jason Ede, now working for the National Party, for accessing a Labour Party website that was meant to be secure.
He said he did not know all the details of the Justice Minister’s passing on the name of a public servant to Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater, to which she has admitted. “What I do know, is that it is a series of selective pieces of information, many of which can’t be backed up.”
Ms Collins is also facing pressure to stand down as a minister over whether she leaked confidential ACC information to Slater – allegations that she has strenuously denied.
Internet Party leader Laila Harré also appeared on Morning Report to discuss the fall-out from Dirty Politics.
And on Sunday Morning, Wallace Chapman spoke to Nicky Hager.
Last week we asked Wellingtonians whether the allegations made by Hager would influence their vote.