Goff says he knew about allegations against Worth last year

Richard Worth. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Labour leader Phil Goff first knew that one of his party members was having problems with Richard Worth late last year.

A spokesman for Mr Goff told NZPA today the woman had approached Mr Goff about the text messages and phone calls she was receiving at that time.

Mr Goff offered to take the matter up with Prime Minister John Key but the woman was afraid of the publicity that would surround that and wanted to keep the situation confidential.

Mr Goff kept in contact with the woman and her husband.

The woman, who does not want to be identified, has said she received 40 text messages and 60 phone calls from Dr Worth between November 26 and February 23.

At the time Dr Worth was minister of internal affairs.

He resigned on Tuesday after it became known that police had launched an investigation into another, completely separate, complaint against him.

The Herald met the Auckland businesswoman yesterday, but she was too distressed to discuss the incident.

Mr Goff tabled a statement in Parliament last night in which the woman said some of Dr Worth's messages were sexually explicit and vulgar.

Mr Goff called Mr Key early last month and told him about Dr Worth's behaviour, and Dr Worth was questioned by Mr Key's office.

Mr Key said today Dr Worth had emphatically denied the allegations.

"He was absolutely adamant, he wrote a note to us to say it was categorically incorrect," Mr Key said on Radio New Zealand.

"He said he was prepared to sign an affidavit saying his version of events was right, and he said he would take defamation action against Phil Goff and the Labour Party if the information found its way into the public domain."

Mr Goff said today the woman had been hurt by Mr Key's acceptance of Dr Worth's version of events and that he would try to arrange a meeting between Prime Minister John Key and the woman.

"I'll be in touch with Mr Key's office, probably later this morning, to see if a meeting can be facilitated," Mr Goff said today.

"He can hear directly from the woman what I have heard from the woman, and he can make his judgment on that basis."

Mr Key has previously said that if the woman's allegations can be proved, that would be sufficient reason to expel Dr Worth from the National Party caucus.

Earlier today Mr Key said that when Mr Goff first raised the issue with him he did not have any other information apart from Mr Goff's phone call.

He did not know the woman's name and still had not seen any of the text messages or emails.

"We take this very seriously, if at any time there had been any information I could have used to back up the complainant's version of events I would have sacked Dr Worth immediately," he said.

The woman said in her statement Dr Worth met her and offered her a job as an ethnic affairs adviser.

After that meeting he called her again and offered her a job as a member of the Lottery Grants Board.

While the woman was on an international family trip the text messages became more explicit.

"These conversations ranged from asking me to buy a transparent garment for myself and whether I wanted a welcome banner at the airport when I returned."

She said that by now she was uncomfortable "with his tone and his approach".

- NZPA