KEY POINTS:
Political sniping has erupted around a fresh campaign to promote New Zealand, with National leader John Key claiming the Government shoved him out of the limelight.
The Made From New Zealand project, which will promote the country's businesses and people, will be launched on Waitangi Day with the building of a 100m-long silver fern on Santa Monica Beach in Los Angeles.
To help fund the publicity push, the campaign's organisers are selling a limited number of T-shirts for $112.50 each.
They approached National leader John Key for support and he agreed to buy a dozen T-shirts and front up at a media-attended rehearsal at Orewa Beach yesterday.
But his invitation was suddenly withdrawn, apparently shortly after Economic Development Minister Trevor Mallard indicated he might also back the campaign by buying as many as 400 T-shirts through New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
"I got this phone call to say thanks, but we don't want you to come to Orewa," Mr Key said.
He claimed he had been told Mr Mallard pressured Made From New Zealand's organisers not to include the National leader in publicity.
"I thought the days of blackmail were beyond New Zealand - this is either a form of blackmail or it's a Government that is vindictive in its dealings with people."
But Mr Mallard last night rejected any suggestion he had leaned on the campaign's organisers to get rid of Mr Key.
"I absolutely refute any suggestion that I said that Government support for this project would not proceed if John Key was involved in any photo op," Mr Mallard said.
"That is a total lie."
The man caught in the middle of the bickering, Made From New Zealand spokesman Steve Adams, last night said he was bemused by the sideshow.
He said Mr Mallard had simply given him advice to keep the campaign "apolitical".
It was difficult to get anyone other than Mr Key to attend the Orewa rehearsal yesterday and, having only the National leader risked looking political, Mr Adams said.
"It was all or nothing," he said.
"He [Mallard] certainly wasn't trying to say, 'This has to be my show'."
Made From New Zealand was trying to brief all political parties on its campaign, and wanted to get them all involved, he said.
Asked if Mr Mallard had pressured him to shift the limelight away from Mr Key, Mr Adams said: "Hell no".
Mr Mallard last night said the National leader needed to realise the campaign was about New Zealand and "not about John Key".
