Brash hits back at Labour's attack ads

The advert Don Brash objects to.

Don Brash last night hit back at Labour Party advertisements which attack him, saying they are diversionary and distorting.

The advertisements all quote from the National leader's public statements and conclude "You're better off with Labour."

Dr Brash said: "I assume this is a part of an attempt to scare New Zealand voters into worrying about things that they don't need to be scared about and to distract their attention from issues voters do want to talk about."

Labour's adverts centre on comments Dr Brash has made on Iraq, on New Zealand's anti-nuclear position and on schools.

* Don Brash on sending troops to Iraq: "I think I would have done what President Bush did."

* Don Brash on education: "For my part, I don't care who owns the schools."

* New Zealand's nuclear-free policy; according to Don Brash is it: a) Gone by lunchtime? b) Gone after a referendum? c) Gone after an election? d) All of the above depending on who he's talking to?

Commenting on one that ran in the Herald yesterday on Iraq, Dr Brash said there was very little difference between National and Labour's position on Iraq.

He made the comments about Iraq the day before his successful leadership coup against Bill English, "and that was certainly the view of the National Party at that time, a view which Bill English had expressed and which I was comfortable with".

The difference between National and Labour was not very substantial: Labour had combat troops in Afghanistan fighting terrorism and had had non-combat troops in Iraq.

Dr Brash said the quote on schools was very incomplete.

The nuclear ad was a "total red-herring." National's position had not changed; the policy would not be changed in the next three years unless by referendum or manifesto promise at a later time.