PM indecisive over Tamihere, says Brash

Don Brash (left) and John Tamihere

National Leader Don Brash would demand maverick MP John Tamihere's resignation if he were in the Prime Minister's position, he said today.

Mr Tamihere is on indefinite "stress leave" after he made offensive comments about colleagues in an Investigate magazine interview followed by further comments on the Holocaust, women and another MP which were published yesterday in newspapers.

"It's time for him to resign," Dr Brash told NZPA.

"He's offended not only Jewish New Zealanders but also women by the use of language and I'm neither a Jew nor a woman but I am offended by both those comments."

Sunday newspapers reported Mr Tamihere saying he was sick of hearing about the Holocaust, that ally Clayton Cosgrove in caucus was being held back because he ran a "nasty" campaign against Prime Minister Helen Clark, and abused women in top jobs calling them "front-bums".

"Last week he was obviously in great difficulty in the Labour Party because he was effectively revealing the nature of the Labour Government," Dr Brash said.

Comments that Labour was driven by minority groups, unionists, and feminists and that it was duplicitous in dealing with minority coalition partners did not impact on the public.

"That was up to the Prime Minister to deal with or not deal with. She chose not to deal with it. I think the latest revelations -- making remarks about both the Holocaust and women in a highly derogatory way offends not just the Labour Party but all New Zealanders."

Mr Tamihere's comments about the Holocaust were beyond the pale.

"I think most New Zealanders recognise the Holocaust as arguably the most barbaric event in human history... to complain you've heard it too much and you are sick and tired of it is really very offensive to most people."

Miss Clark declined to say on television this morning whether she would accept Mr Tamihere's resignation if offered.

"She's clearly playing for time and is revealing an indecisive side of her nature that has been largely hidden until John Tamihere revealed the truth," Dr Brash said.

"If I had a member of my caucus who made remarks like that I would seeking their resignation."

Dr Brash said he saw no parallels between Mr Tamihere's situation and the two weeks in October/November 2003 that National MP Nick Smith spent on stress leave.

Dr Smith had been National deputy leader until he made accusations against chief whip John Carter of conspiring and voting against former leader Bill English.

"There are no parallels at all. Nick Smith was away for two weeks, it was a finite period. He made no remarks to the public which were in any sense offensive and indeed he made no remarks outside the caucus at all."

- NZPA