Brownlee outburst shows National 'not fit to govern'

National Party leader Don Brash (right) and deputy leader Gerry Brownlee. Picture / Mark Mitchell

National has shown why it is not fit for Government with its deputy leader Gerry Brownlee's attacks on the Governor-General, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said today.

Mr Brownlee has not backed off his criticism of the Governor-General yesterday, on the day Dame Silvia Cartwright went to Parliament for its State opening.

Mr Brownlee said yesterday he had "lost respect" for the Governor-General and had lost confidence in the process followed to form the new Government.

Mr Peters told National Radio today that Mr Brownlee's comments were an outrage and breached a long-standing convention not to criticise the Governor-General.
"For someone who has got lawyers in his caucus to make a statement like that, and for the leader not to react in any way to affirm the propriety of the Governor-General's actions is a disgrace and demonstrates why they are not fit for government," he said.

National leader Don Brash yesterday said he respected the Governor-General, but was also concerned about the way the Government was formed.

He did not seek a retraction or apology from Mr Brownlee.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said Mr Brownlee's comments were irresponsible and inappropriate, and if it had been a Labour MP she would have wanted an apology.

Mr Brownlee said yesterday that he was not questioning the legitimacy of the Government, but the way it was formed raised concerns.

He said that when National and Labour were both looking at forming a government, Miss Clark had broken the deadlock by going to Mr Peters.

The deal included Mr Peters gaining the foreign affairs and other portfolios, but only being bound by collective responsibility in those areas and no others.

At the time, Miss Clark described the change to the rules of collective responsibility governing ministers as part of the "learning curve" of MMP.

"At that point, she chucked the Cabinet manual's rule of collective responsibility out the window... questions should be asked, you can't change the constitution at any cost to form a Government," Mr Brownlee said.

Miss Clark's office yesterday released a letter in which Executive Council clerk Diane Morcom told party leaders Dame Silvia expected them to make clear public statements indicating who had the support of a majority of MPs, and did not expect to meet any of them before talks were concluded.

"Dame Silvia has, however, asked me to act as a point of first contact if the leader of a political party wishes to contact her," Ms Morcom wrote.

Mr Peters said today nothing had stopped Dr Brash from contacting the Governor-General at any point in time if he thought he had the numbers to form a government.

- NZPA