Benson-Pope has learned powerful lesson, says PM

David Benson-Pope

Prime Minister Helen Clark concedes that Cabinet Minister David Benson-Pope made a hash of handling the "shower girl" allegations, but says she will "not decapitate" him on the basis of a smear campaign.

Helen Clark spoke at length yesterday about the scandal that has surrounded Mr Benson-Pope, saying although the Social Development Minister could have handled things better, the Opposition's tactics had not been "fair play".

The Prime Minister may have been keen to talk about the allegations, but Mr Benson-Pope made an attempt yesterday to get back to "business as normal", busying himself with the announcement that Child, Youth and Family would be merged into the Ministry of Social Development.

Helen Clark, who last week said in a parliamentary answer that Mr Benson-Pope had made an error of judgment, continued to admonish the minister over his handling of the allegations.

"Mr Benson-Pope may well have made a hash of dealing with things in Parliament, and I have said as much, but that isn't grounds for dismissal of a minister. I think he has learned a very powerful lesson from this."

Although Mr Benson-Pope received criticism, Helen Clark's wrath was reserved for the Opposition who, she said, were running a "calculated smear campaign" to mount defamatory attacks on the Government's integrity.

"It is about making the Government look as though it is constantly destabilised with the muck being thrown around," she said.

"Well, we're not falling for that."

Helen Clark said the Government had been told by National Party sources that National's tactics had been divisive within the party, with some members saying it had sickened them.

National MP Murray McCully wrote in his newsletter last week that the Prime Minister's defence of Mr Benson-Pope had caused deep division within the Labour ranks.

The Government implied last week that it had incriminating information about National's deputy leader, Gerry Brownlee, also a former teacher, and said people in glasshouses should not throw stones.

Helen Clark would not say what information the Government had and denied it was also using smear tactics.

"All I will say is that one constantly gets approached by email, letter, whispers in Koru Clubs, at functions, with whispers about this and that about quite a number of members of the House."

Mr Brownlee has said he has nothing to hide.

Helen Clark was asked if National's attacks on Mr Benson-Pope had been any different to Labour's attacks in 1997 on former New Zealand First MP Tuku Morgan over the $89 underpants he bought while working for Aotearoa Television.

She said the Morgan case was about greed which almost derailed Maori Television. "I think that is quite a different matter from trying to destroy a man's reputation."