Henare takes back Blair 'liar' comment

Tau Henare says he would be more circumspect in his comments if National were in power. Picture / Mark Mitchell

National MP Tau Henare has apologised for calling British Prime Minister "an absolute liar" over the Iraq war in comments that put him at odds with his own party.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters said National's foreign spokesman, Murray McCully, should take some control over his party's direction on foreign affairs "before his rogue colleagues do some permanent damage".

Mr Henare made his comments on Newstalk ZB on Wednesday morning in his weekly slot with Auckland Issues Minister Judith Tizard and host Paul Holmes.

"I wouldn't pay money to go and listen to Tony Blair," Mr Henare said. "Quite frankly, I can't stand the man.

"I just can't stand the fact that he went to war with Iraq over weapons of mass destruction ... I think he is an absolute liar."

Mr Henare accused Ms Tizard of "sucking up to the Pommies" when she said she had been fascinated to meet British Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Mr Blair.

National backed the 2003 invasion of Iraq led by the United States and Britain, although leader Don Brash has since said that "in hindsight it is easy to see what could have been done differently".

Dr Brash attended a reception in Auckland on Tuesday for Mr Blair.

Mr Henare said his radio comments were part of a robust exchange.

"If I have caused great offence, serious offence, to Mr Blair and his entourage, I unreservedly apologise."

He said he had discussed what he would say with Mr McCully and asked if he wanted him to "do a grovelling apology".

But Mr McCully had said he would leave that to Mr Henare.

Mr Henare became a talkback host after being voted out of Parliament in 1999 but refused to discuss yesterday whether he was having difficulty adjusting back to a life in politics after being re-elected last year as a National list MP.

He rejected a suggestion that it was a matter of caucus discipline, rather than being about Mr Blair being offended.

But he thought he would be more "circumspect" in his comment were National to be in Government.

Mr Peters also referred to comments made by new National MP and former diplomat John Hayes condemning the independence vote for Tokelau as a waste of money.

In a reference to Mr Henare - his former deputy leader in NZ First - Mr Peters said that "because in this instance the culprit was the attention-seeking Mr Henare, who is not taken seriously by anybody on any issue ... no harm was really done.

"But it is about time National's so-called foreign affairs spokesman, Murray McCully, took some control of his party's direction on foreign affairs before his rogue colleagues do some permanent damage."