Clark turns up heat over 'vile, baseless lies'

Helen Clark (far left) and Don and Je Lan Brash all attended the opening of Fashion Week last night, but there will be no meeting to establish a truce. Picture / Greg Bowker

Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday hardened her attack against individuals and media organisations repeating rumours about her husband, Professor Peter Davis.

After scoffing at reports on Sunday as "schoolboy smut", she described them yesterday as "vile, baseless lies" and said legal action was an option.

Helen Clark also toughened criticism of her own frontbencher Trevor Mallard, calling him "deplorable" for making interjections two weeks ago to National's leader, Don Brash, about an affair with businesswoman Diane Foreman. She indicated he would be censured when he returned to NZ tomorrow from a private trip.

Helen Clark and Dr Brash rejected suggestions of a meeting to sort out a truce after each other's party was accused of having a role in exposing Dr Brash's affair and spreading rumours about Professor Davis' sexuality.

Helen Clark said National should "call off the dogs".

Dr Brash said there was no need for a truce because only one party was fighting dirty - Labour.

Helen Clark described Investigate editor Ian Wishart as "despicable" for running pictures of her husband being embraced by one of the couple's oldest friends, Dr Ian Scott, last election night with the headline "Peter Davis and mystery man captured on candid camera".

She called the Sunday Star-Times "utterly reckless" for running a story about Investigate's planned article and said its ratings were "sinking."

TV3 last night apologised for its coverage of the story on Sunday, though a spokesman for the PM said that did not result from legal action.

Helen Clark also said yesterday she believed private detectives hired by the Exclusive Brethren might have followed her and her husband. She had mentioned it to police officers in the diplomatic protection squad.

The PM said on Newstalk ZB that she had been contacted by a "very credible source" who said a private investigator was approached to do the job and had turned it down.

She had also been contacted by a "serious media source" which had been following a story that the Exclusive Brethren had hired a private detective to follow her and her husband. "I start to put two and two together."

The Exclusive Brethren campaigned against Labour and the Greens last election.

Helen Clark told reporters that opponents had sought to defame her for the 25 years of her political career.

"Now they have sought to get at me through my husband. I can't think of anything lower in public life."

Asked on Breakfast if Professor Davis was upset, she said: "Of course he is upset. He is a very private person.

"He doesn't need this and he knows that really he is just a pawn in that bigger right-wing game of trying to attack and topple me. They are not going to get away with it."

Dr Brash was adamant no one from his party had provided material to Investigate.

"I think she's just trying desperately to divert attention from the fact that Labour has been attacking the private lives of National Party MPs. I am not involved, my colleagues are not involved as far as I can tell, and I totally condemn that kind of activity."

He also had harsh words for Mr Mallard: "What I think should happen to Trevor Mallard isn't suitable for family-time TV."

Dr Brash dismissed a suggestion of a meeting between him and the Prime Minister to try to close down the rumour mill.

"I am always happy to talk to the Prime Minister, but I've said already that the National Party will not be engaged, has not been engaged, in this type of activity.

"So I don't actually see a need to sit down with her and discuss it."

National MPs had been instructed not to respond in kind to any more personal attacks, and any who did would be dealt with severely, Dr Brash said.

"All we require is for Labour to do the same and there's peace."

Dr Brash revealed to reporters that he had apologised to Helen Clark in 2004 after saying in a letter that she was "indifferent to the institution of marriage".

"That was a silly remark in a letter which I did sign. I've subsequently apologised to Helen Clark for that remark. I did so shortly after I sent the letter."

- Additional reporting by NZPA