The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is
investigating the leaking of documents to Labour's foreign
affairs spokesman, Phil Goff, and has called in the State
Services Commission to help.
The SAS is to be withdrawn from Afghanistan on schedule in
March, the Government announced yesterday, but the move was
met with Opposition calls to ensure they are never deployed
again.
It will come as little consolation to Phil Goff that friends
and erstwhile foes have been so generous in their
post-election assess- ments of the man and his career.
The challenge within the
Labour Party to decide its next leader and deputy leader has
the potential to split the party apart after Labour's
hammering at the polls on Saturday night.
The sparring continued between National and Labour yesterday
as Phil Goff sought to discredit National's response to his
10 "vital statistics" attacking the Government's record.
Labour leader Phil Goff continued his election strategy of
attacking National's greatest asset tonight, panning the
Prime Minister's record in rebuilding his hometown of
Christchurch during a leaders debate in the city.
Labour leader Phil Goff will tonight get his first major
opportunity to show voters he is up to the job as prime
minister when he and Prime Minister John Key meet in the
first leaders debate.
Prime Minister John Key has described as "panicked'' the
Labour Party's plan to raise the age of eligibility for NZ
Super to 67 and to make KiwiSaver compulsory.
Labour would actively "intervene'' to kickstart the
Christchurch recovery, including entering the land
development and insurance markets if necessary, leader Phil
Goff says.
Labour leader Phil Goff has rubbished suggestions his deputy
Annette King may step down and that he recently asked his
front bench whether he should do the same.
