Peters 'sneaking off' to US says National

Senior National MP Murray McCully says Foreign Minister Winston Peters is demeaning himself by "sneaking off to the United States".

Mr McCully, the party's foreign affairs spokesman, criticised the refusal of Mr Peters' office to issue details of an imminent visit to Washington. The trip is understood to be next week..

"Mr Peters should not be so secretive about something that should be a matter of public record," Mr McCully said. "He should release his itinerary and tell New Zealanders about his objectives for the visit."

Mr McCully said negotiating improvements in New Zealand's relationship with the United States - one of Mr Peters' stated objectives when he became Foreign Minister - should not be pursued "in the dead of night and in secret".

Mr Peters said he was happy to leave "megaphone diplomacy" to Mr McCully while he got on with his work.

"Murray McCully's angst over the lack of information about my forthcoming visit to Washington shows his preference for sound bites ahead of informed comment," he said.

"It is a matter of record that I have said on several occasions recently that a trip to Washington will happen soon. Details will of course, as always, be made public before departure but frankly it is the substance of the trip that matters to me, not making a song and dance about it."

Mr Peters said National's agitation revealed how much the party hated the fact that he was actively seeking to further improve New Zealand's relationship with the United States.

"Mr McCully ought to find an issue with a bit more substance. Today's attack had all the impact of an ankle-biting chihuahua," he said.

- NZPA