Smith asked US for help on nukes issue, claims Goff

Lockwood Smith

Labour has plunged National into another embarrassing controversy over the nuclear issue by ambushing it with a claim that senior MP Lockwood Smith asked United States senators for help from a US think-tank to sway New Zealand opinion.

National leader Don Brash acknowledged the seriousness of the issue last night by saying it would have been inappropriate if Dr Smith had sought such assistance.

But Dr Brash, who was at the same meeting as Dr Smith in January last year, said he did not know if Dr Smith made the comment.

"I'm neither confirming nor denying," he said last night, invoking the classic United States response on whether its ships were nuclear-armed or propelled.

The evidence against Dr Smith is contained in notes of the meeting taken by a Foreign Affairs official accompanying the senators. Dr Brash and Dr Smith were unaware the notes had been taken.

Labour's carefully planned manoeuvre yesterday overshadowed the trial over the Prime Minister's speeding motorcade and extended Labour's campaign bid to paint National as having a hidden agenda on the anti-nuclear law.

Outside the House, Dr Brash restated National's policy that the anti-nuclear law would not be changed in the next parliamentary term without a referendum.

He said he had no clear recollection of what precisely was said 18 months ago "but I have made it very clear that it is inappropriate for any foreign think-tank or lobby groups to be used in any way to influence public opinion in New Zealand".

Asked if that meant that any such suggestion by Dr Smith would have been inappropriate, he said, "Quite".

Foreign Minister Phil Goff accused Dr Smith in Parliament yesterday of improperly seeking US help to persuade New Zealanders to change the anti-nuclear legislation.

Dr Smith at first denied any notes existed that backed up that claim but Mr Goff released a partial transcript.

Last night Dr Smith said, "The allegation by Labour that I proposed a US-funded campaign to change our anti-nuclear legislation is utterly untrue".

Any implication that he wanted to invite a US think-tank to run such a campaign in New Zealand was "equally untrue".

"I can only surmise that the junior ministry official who took notes misunderstood the discussion."

Mr Goff has clearly been waiting to use the notes at an opportune time.

They are the same notes the minister has refused to release despite Herald appeals to the Ombudsman.

It is the second time the Government has made political capital out of the material.

In May last year, Prime Minister Helen Clark and Mr Goff said the notes referred to Dr Brash telling the senators that the nuclear propulsion part of the anti-nuclear legislation would be "gone by lunchtime".

The release created a storm and strained relations between Foreign Affairs and the Government.

Mr Goff defended himself then by saying he would "only ever use them in extraordinary circumstances".

The note

"Dr Smith asked whether it would be worthwhile for a US think-tank to assist with the public campaign in New Zealand, following the National Party study/review? [Senator Don] Nickles remarked that it was an internal issue for New Zealand and as such should be left up to a New Zealand think-tank. The US should not involve itself with such a national issue."