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Prime Minister Helen Clark was informed about an Air New Zealand charter flight by officials and not the airline, her office said today in response to claims she released confidential information.
Air NZ chairman John Palmer wrote to Prime Minister Helen Clark this week expressing concern she used information he gave her.
But a spokesman for Miss Clark said today: "The Prime Minister has had no contact with Air New Zealand on this matter whatsoever, she was told by Mfat (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade) as a matter of fact that the flight was happening that day," a.
He confirmed the letter from Mr Palmer had been received.
Last month the New Zealand Government reacted angrily to being kept in the dark by the airline and Mfat officials over the national carrier ferrying Australian troops from Darwin to Kuwait when some of them went on to Iraq.
New Zealand opposed the Iraq invasion and assisting troops there was against its foreign policy.
Miss Clark took a swipe at Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer after he raised the issue with diplomats.
Mr Downer said the Australian Defence Force (ADF) would no longer use Air NZ "in any circumstances" but Miss Clark said the ADF had continued to use Air NZ to fly troops to the Solomon Islands.
"My response is the very day after he said that Air NZ flew Australian Defence Force troops to Honiara so perhaps things don't get actioned very quickly in Australia," Miss Clark said.
- NZPA
