Labour attacks Key as Worth's future remains clouded

PM John Key is again in a war of words with Labour over former minister Richard Worth. Photo / Martin Sykes

The parliamentary future of former minister Richard Worth is still in the balance, as Prime Minister John Key waits for events to unfold.

Dr Worth was asked to resign as a minister last week after it emerged that he was under police investigation over allegations of a sexual nature involving a Korean business woman.

Mr Key is also still dealing with an earlier allegation that Dr Worth harassed another woman.

The unidentified woman, a member of the Labour Party, wants to meet Mr Key to verify her version of events.

Since Friday there has been a stand-off over arrangements for that meeting, which remained unchanged today.

The woman has said that, between November and February, Dr Worth sent dozens of text messages and called her numerous times, and that some of the calls were sexually explicit and vulgar.

She has also said Dr Worth offered her jobs in his ministerial capacity.

Labour leader Phil Goff told Mr Key about the texts and calls early last month.

When Mr Key's office asked Dr Worth about them he denied the woman's version and threatened to sue Mr Goff if the information became public.

Mr Key accepted Dr Worth's denial, and now Mr Goff is trying to arrange a meeting so the woman can prove her credibility.

But Mr Key's office has said she must first meet chief of staff Wayne Eagleson to prove she has the text messages, then meet the prime minister.

Labour has said the woman will only hand them over to Mr Key in person.

Mr Goff tried to up the pressure on Mr Key today by releasing his file notes on the initial conversation, saying they indicated the prime minister already had concerns about his minister.

In those notes Mr Goff said Mr Key told him that he had heard rumours about Dr Worth, and that was why he was not appointed speaker.

Mr Key said Mr Goff's recollection of events differed to his.

"The reason I made Lockwood Smith the speaker and not Richard Worth was...because I thought Lockwood Smith would be a better speaker," Mr Key said.

"I did say to Phil Goff...that you always us hear rumours about members of Parliament."

He had confronted Dr Worth about another rumour some time ago and this had been denied by him at the time.

Mr Key said Labour was playing games about the texts, at first saying he should have asked for them months ago and now not giving them to him.

Without them there was just one person's word against the others.

"I am not Judge Judy," Mr Key said.

"Show me the messages."

It would be useful to clear up whether the allegations were true.

Mr Key said he could not sack Mr Worth a second time and he had it made clear there would be no return, however "it might be an issue in terms of his future involvement with the party."

Dr Worth is on leave, but due to return for next week's caucus meeting.

Mr Key has said Dr Worth should consider his future as an MP and suggested he could be expelled from caucus.

If Dr Worth wanted to take more time to consider his position then it was likely he would be granted it.

Dr Worth issued a statement last Thursday saying he was innocent of any crime and would vigorously defend himself against any accusations that he had broken the law.

- NZPA