Rt Hon Winston Peters
Minister of Foreign Affairs

9 October 2007

McCully two months late with the news

Murray McCully is desperately trying to divert media attention from National’s on-going policy fiascos by re-heating information reported by media nearly two months ago, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said today.

“The fact that a CTAG report on Air New Zealand charters to Kuwait was sent to a raft of government departments and Ministerial offices was widely reported on August 16,” Mr Peters said.

“Michael Cullen, as Acting Prime Minister, revealed that information in the House. He also acknowledged that no official had seen fit to draw the report to their Minister’s attention.

“It is a very poor sort of politician who finds himself two months behind the play.

“Mr McCully has equally failed in attempting to suggest I misled the House on this matter. As the Hansard shows, I answered his question accurately and honestly. I stated that to the best of everyone’s recollections, the Ministry had not told my office. That is correct – the CTAG report, of which I had no knowledge at that time, was not produced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and no amount of twisting by him will change that fact,” Mr Peters said.

ENDS

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