Labour's questioning of Brash 'a disgrace'

Dr Brash and his wife Je Lan. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Labour MPs' questioning in Parliament of National leader Don Brash's personal life is "a disgrace", National MP Judith Collins has said.

Dr Brash's leadership is in doubt after he announced yesterday he was taking two days off to attend to a marriage crisis.

Dr Brash, 65, issued a statement from Auckland saying he and his wife, Je Lan Brash, had been having some difficulties.

"Je Lan and I are working through these difficulties and we are both committed to making our marriage work."

The move came amid persistent rumours of an affair and threats by his political opponents to lift the lid on his personal life.

Mrs Collins today said the issue had been brought to a head by comments from Cabinet Ministers Trevor Mallard and David Benson-Pope in Parliament last week.

Mr Mallard repeatedly talked about an "affair" after Dr Brash asked a question about Taito Phillip Field's conduct and said Labour MPs would dish the dirt on their opponents if they did not stop calling the Government corrupt.

"I don't comment on people's private lives and certainly when Trevor Mallard and David Benson-Pope made their allegations in Parliament about Dr Brash's private life they crossed the line," Mrs Collins said on National Radio today.

"You've got children involved here. The people who choose to bring families into it - they're just a disgrace."

Mrs Collins - who led National's attack on Social Development Minister David Benson-Pope, accusing him of misleading Parliament and labelling him a pervert - said Dr Brash still had her support.

Dr Brash's marital problems were first unveiled when Dr Brash was confronted about rumours during a caucus meeting.

It is believed the question raised in the caucus concerns Dr Brash's relationship with Diane Foreman, a married businesswoman.

Rakaia MP Brian Connell asked if it was true he was having an affair and said if Dr Brash was lying to his wife he would be unfit to lead the party.

Dr Brash is understood to have neither confirmed nor denied the accusation but said he had not lied to the public.

However, Mr Connell today claimed he was the victim of a set up.

"I'm not denying there was a discussion in caucus, but it has been misrepresented considerably.

"I didn't raise the issue, I responded to it and I did so in the full knowledge, or so I thought, that what took place in the caucus was confidential."

Meanwhile, former National Party president Michelle Boag said Dr Brash's career was not over.

She claimed the only dishonesty was from Prime Minister Helen Clark who has denied she had anything to do with the revelations

Ms Boag said Dr Brash was not the only MP to have marital issues, but he was the only one who has been attacked for it in Parliament.

She said Labour was diverting attention from the election spending issue.

- NZPA / NZHERALD STAFF / NEWSTALK ZB