Collins’ Admission Reason for Key to Act

Judith Collins’ admission that she was involved in a baseless smear campaign against a public servant is more than enough reason for John Key to sack her as a Minister, especially as she is on her ‘last warning’, said Labour MP Grant Robertson,

"Despite claiming that the evidence about her in Nicky Hager's book was ‘false’ Judith Collins has now been forced to admit that she did send information about a Ministerial Services staff member to Cameron Slater for him to use in a baseless smear campaign.

"This is a gross abuse of the power that a Minister has and shows, yet again, that Judith Collins is unfit to be a Minister. The fact that John Key refuses to sack her confirms that this is the kind of politics that he condones and supports.

"What makes this even worse is that the smear campaign was designed to be a distraction from the story about Bill English claiming housing allowances. Despite there being no evidence that the staff member had done anything wrong at all, Judith Collins aided and abetted a disgraceful smear on his character."

"Comments on Cameron Slater's blog about the public servant were so threatening that the Police had to become involved. Judith Collins has to carry some of the responsibility for that.

"Judith Collins has claimed the information about the staff member was publicly available. This is not true, but in any case it does not excuse the Minister being involved in this kind of unwarranted smear campaign.

"This involvement in smearing a public servant sits alongside messages from Cameron Slater that describe conversations with Judith Collins about confidential ACC information relating to the Bronwyn Pullar case. John Key's refusal to investigate this new evidence is outrageous. The ACC Minister has a duty of confidentiality which she appears to have flagrantly breached for political purposes.

“Mr Key said Mrs Collins is on her last warning. The book is full of examples that should lead to her sacking.

"John Key can not sweep this story away. He, his staff and his Ministers have all indulged in the kind of gutter politics that diminishes our democracy. Labour is continuing to campaign on our positive alternative for New Zealand, but we can not stand by when innocent and defenceless public servants are used as political pawns by a Minister,” Grant Robertson said.

ENDS

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