Michael Cullen Not AWOL, but Missing In Action

National Party Leader Don Brash says Helen Clark made the wrong call by instructing Michael Cullen not to attend this weekend’s Australia/New Zealand leadership forum in Melbourne.

“This is a hugely important relationship for New Zealand,” says Dr Brash who returned from the meeting early today.

“Companies on both sides of the Tasman are concerned that unresolved tax issues remain a major impediment to closer economic relations. This was a great chance to make progress, but Labour has let that opportunity go begging.

“Australian Treasurer Peter Costello felt it sufficiently important to attend, while Helen Clark was prepared to let Jim Anderton and Phil Goff represent her Government.

“Michael Cullen was not so much AWOL, but Missing In Action, after being ordered to stay at home and manage the fall-out from the Peter Doone defamation case.

“New Zealand is the smaller partner in this relationship and Labour cannot continue to take our previously good relations for granted,” says Dr Brash.

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