Grant ROBERTSON
Deputy Leader

13 June 2013     MEDIA STATEMENT

John Key knew Peter Dunne was not complying with Henry Inquiry

John Key was briefed multiple times about the investigation into the leaking of the Kitteridge Report and was told that Peter Dunne was not complying with the inquiry a week before his resignation, Labour Deputy Leader Grant Robertson said.

“Under questioning in Parliament today Gerry Brownlee, answering on behalf of the Prime Minister, said that John Key was briefed several times about the Henry Report in the week leading up to its release. This included being told on the 29th of May that Peter Dunne was not complying with the inquiry.

“This contradicts the statements John Key made about the inquiry.

“On the 30th of May John Key said that he had not sought assurances from Peter Dunne as to whether he leaked the report, and that he did not need to. Mr Key said ‘I accept him absolutely at his word…I’ve got no reason to doubt that’.

“It is now clear that John Key was being kept well briefed on the inquiry despite his public claims, and had a very specific reason to doubt Mr Dunne.

“John Key might like to distance himself from this mess, but he can’t. 

“Mr Key needs to answer why, when he was told Peter Dunne was not complying with the inquiry, did he not personally ask Mr Dunne to do so?  We are talking about one of his Ministers refusing to comply with an inquiry into the release of a highly sensitive document that he himself ordered.

“John Key’s failure to get his Minister to comply with the inquiry raises the question again of whether he ever wanted to get to the bottom of who leaked the Kitteridge Report. 

“Today he still can’t tell New Zealanders definitively who leaked it.   He needs to be upfront with New Zealanders about exactly what he knew about the inquiry and why he did not ask Mr Dunne to comply with it as soon as he knew there was a problem,” Grant Robertson said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media