Labour candidate ticked off

By THERESA GARNER

Labour leader Helen Clark has told Epsom candidate David Jacobs to "cool it", after he likened the Act party to fascists.

The Act leader Richard Prebble last night demanded a public apology from the Labour party over a statement by Mr Jacobs that warned conservative voters against helping Act to power in the same way Germans elected Hitler.

A spokesman for Helen Clark said that clearly that Mr Jacobs had become overheated, and that what he said was "not a Labour party position".

Helen Clark's advice was for Mr Jacobs to "cool it".

(two separate spokespeople)

However, an apology is unlikely, according to Helen Clark's press secretary, Mark Watts. "I think her response will be 'big deal - why should we apologise to that rat'."

Mr Jacobs, who is standing against Act's Rodney Hide in the National-held seat, said in his statement that as a Jew, he could stay silent no longer.

"Act is our equivalent of a fascist party. Its supporters may wear suits and ties rather than brownshirts and jackboots, but their tactics are reminiscent of fascist tactics in the 1930s."

Mr Prebble said Mr Jacobs' statements were gutter politics, and asked Helen Clark to publicly repudiate the statement.

Mr Prebble, who is a founding member of the New Zealand Israeli Parliamentary Friendship Association, said it was offensive and ludicrous at the inference that the Act party was anti-Semetic.

"His suggestion that a political party is promoting racism and fascism that our fathers fought against in World War Two is outrageous."

Labour's campaign director, Mike Williams, said last night he would tell Mr Jacobs to "stay on message" and not be harassed by loud meetings.

Mr Jacobs had earlier complained that Act disrupted public meetings with abusive heckling.

Mr Hide said Mr Jacobs was nowhere in the race for Epsom. "I believe this is because he calls everyone who disagrees with him a Nazi and a fascist."