Finance Minister Steven Joyce stood next to Winston Peters at an election debate tonight - and was asked to confirm the National Party didn't leak the New Zealand First leader's private information.
Peters stood at his lectern at the ASB Great Finance Debate in Queenstown and stared straight ahead after host Patrick Gower put the question to Joyce, saying he wanted to address the elephant in the room.
Joyce laughed, and said he could categorically confirm the "leak" did not come from the National Party.
Peters had to wait while the other participants - Green leader James Shaw, Labour's finance spokesman Grant Robertson and Act leader David Seymour - gave their views on the controversy, with all saying they wanted to put the focus back on policy debate.
When it was his turn to comment, Peters said he was the victim of a conspiracy, and told Joyce, "too many of your people are talking to me" because they don't like the dirty politics.