Goff insists party behind him

Trevor Mallard, on crutches after a bike crash, says MPs accepted Phil Goff's explanations. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Labour leader Phil Goff has attempted to present a unified front to quell rumours of division and criticism of his leadership since a police complaint against Darren Hughes became public.

Yesterday Mr Goff emerged from a meeting in Dunedin with his front bench colleagues to say he had their "full and utter support" and that the controversy had strengthened his leadership and party unity.

He blamed Labour's political opponents for the controversy and rumours of leadership plots, saying they had deliberately leaked the complaint against Mr Hughes and seeded rumours to destabilise Labour.

It was Mr Goff's first meeting with his front bench colleagues since news of the police complaint was made public.

Several MPs have privately voiced concerns about his handling of it, including the decision to keep it secret for more than two weeks.

Mr Hughes resigned on Friday and maintains he has done nothing wrong. Police inquiries are continuing.

MPs going into the meeting yesterday refused to say what they intended to raise with Mr Goff, but emerged to stand behind him while he announced he had their unanimous support.

Mr Goff said there were 12 people on the front bench "and I've got at least 15 opinions on most issues".

"I had a variety of views put forward ... all of them constructive and we decided hindsight is an excellent way of dealing with any affair."

Despite differing views, he still refused to concede mistakes in his handling of the situation. Asked if he would have acted differently in hindsight, he said there were always better ways of dealing with a fast-moving issue, but he had made a decision "that I could sleep with at night".

His colleagues had agreed there was no way to avoid media focus on the resignation of the party's senior whip.

Otago University political science lecturer Bryce Edwards, who watched the press conference at Otago University, said the public were unlikely to buy the show of unity, which came across as "contrived".

"The head-bobbing going on was quite an unusual spectacle, not so much lying in unison as bobbing in unison. It was clearly a strategy to look united."

He said Mr Goff's claims that his leadership was strengthened by the issue were "just incredible".

Asked if he had expected a more difficult time, Mr Goff said he knew his colleagues pretty well.

"And we have honest conversations with each other. But it's a very mutually supportive group and that's the way it went today, very much so. You probably gathered that today from the body language."

After the meeting, deputy leader Annette King said Mr Goff had reported it accurately.

"We are determined to get back onto issues that matter."

Mr Goff was yet to make a decision on who would take Mr Hughes' education portfolio and whip's job. He would consult other MPs before doing so and caucus would vote on the whip's role.

MP Trevor Mallard said there was genuine acceptance of Mr Goff's explanation that he acted in good faith.

"I don't think anyone in the room didn't think things could have been done from slightly to very differently, but in the end it's an awful situation and people were accepting of the explanations."