Act leader Rodney Hide looks on as Winston Peters' lawyer Brian Henry appears before the privileges committee at Parliament yesterday, via a video link from Australia. Photo from the NZ Herald.

Prime Minister Helen Clark again stalled yesterday on whether to sack New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, despite a less-than-convincing appearance by his lawyer Brian Henry before Parliament's privileges committee.

She told a press conference in Dunedin she had not had time to review the evidence from yesterday's final hearing and, last night, having discussed the matter with her close colleagues, indicated there would be no snap decision.

Miss Clark said on Monday there would need to be devastating evidence for her to alter her position.

Mr Peters has already stood down from his ministerial roles during inquiries about donations to his NZ First party.

The committee is due to present its finding to Parliament on Tuesday. The privileges committee is looking into whether Mr Peters broke rules regarding $100,000 from billionaire Owen Glenn.

Mr Peters denies knowing about the December 2005 donation until the middle of this year, so says he could not have declared it.

During yesterday's hearing, Mr Henry backtracked on earlier evidence and also revealed Mr Peters phoned him the moment he got off a call from Mr Glenn on December 14, 2005, after which Mr Henry fired off bank account details to Mr Glenn.

All this happened within 15 minutes, NZPA reported.

Mr Henry told MPs he asked for the donation but could not recall details of his call to Mr Glenn in late November or early December 2005 and could not provide phone records.

Mr Peters' office gave Mr Henry Mr Glenn's contact details on November 22.

Mr Henry asked MPs to believe there was no discussion of money between Mr Peters and the billionaire, nor of Mr Glenn's bid to be appointed honorary consul of Monaco, reminding the committee the burden of proof was on the accusers not the defender.

Mr Henry said Mr Peters called him immediately after the Glenn call to talk about his legal action to try to overturn the 2005 election result in Tauranga, when Mr Peters lost to National's Bob Clarkson.

National leader John Key said he was not surprised Mr Henry failed to put up a credible defence and had changed his story.

Mr Key said Miss Clark should have sacked Mr Peters from his ministerial roles long ago.

Non-Government MPs on the committee were clearly unimpressed.

United Future leader Peter Dunne asked if it was "just pure coincidence that the sequence of the calls was over that 10-minute period".

Mr Henry earlier said an email to Mr Glenn, in which he provided bank account details after a discussion with "my client", referred to someone other than Mr Peters.

He admitted yesterday the client was Mr Peters and said the confusion was because of Mr Glenn's changed evidence.

Initially, Mr Glenn said Mr Peters called him.

"As soon as I heard that Mr Glenn called Mr Peters, I then knew my client was Mr Peters."

He said the sentence-long email was a reminder to let Mr Glenn know "that I know he's had a discussion with my client and I am sending my bank account details, saying, 'Hey. I am still here. Are we going to get a donation?"'

Labour MPs said the way Mr Glenn and Mr Henry referred to each other by first names in emails showed familiarity.