Government MP accused of making up 'hit list'

By RUTH BERRY

The Government became further engulfed in the public servant controversy yesterday, with one minister accused of making hit-list threats in a bar and another making allegations he was later forced to retract.

The furore centred around the resignation of the Labour Department's Amokura Panoho, who several political parties including National now claim was unfairly hounded out of her job.

At the same time the revelation that Maori Language Commission chief executive Haami Piripi would keep his job sparked accusations he was being treated too lightly.

As the jibes flew animosity between Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia and the Government grew.

Ms Panoho resigned from her job as a regional Community Employment Group manager last week, after she was called in to discuss her involvement in the Maori Party.

It followed a complaint raised after several of Associate Maori Affairs Minister John Tamihere's electorate staff attended a Maori Party hui at which she spoke.

It emerged yesterday the conflict of interest issue was raised by then Acting Social Development and Employment Minister Ruth Dyson.

Yesterday State Services Minister Trevor Mallard said on National Radio Ms Panoho's notice followed a "discussion with her manager as to the inappropriateness of her pressuring her staff to attend" the hui.

The Labour Department later denied this was an issue and Mr Mallard retracted the claim and expressed his "regret" for making it.

Mrs Turia then alleged on radio that: "I understand Dover Samuels [a minister outside Cabinet] was in the Hummingbird hotel the other night ... , and mentioned that Helen Clark was going over with a fine-tooth comb those that were involved from Te Rarawa [a tribe] in the foreshore and seabed actions ... and that might impact on their all-of-Government funding."

She has also suggested three of the Government's Maori MPs worked for Te Puni Kokiri until they were elected to Parliament.

Under law all public servants must be taken off the Government's payroll after nomination day.

Helen Clark's spokesman said the three MPs in question had stood down from their jobs and relinquished their pay in time. Suggestions of a hit-list were "nonsense".

Mr Samuels dismissed the hit-list claims as "garbage". He said it was "low" to use erroneous reports of bar chatter to try to win a political point.

The Green Party and National deputy leader Gerry Brownlee sided with Mrs Turia, with Mr Brownlee saying the treatment of Ms Panoho had hints of Nazi-style harassment.