Government Minister Nick Smith's response in the ACC privacy scandal is finding short shrift with his political opponents.© 2012 Television New Zealand Ltd
Smith has admitted writing a letter supporting the ACC claim of former National Party official, Bronwyn Pullar, while he was the minister for the agency, on his ministerial letterhead. He said he regretted doing so and it was an error of judgement, and has apologised to Prime Minister John Key.
A spokesman for Smith said the minister was friends with Pullar, who was injured in a cycling accident in 2002. Smith had written a reference for Pullar last July in a personal capacity. The letter was to be used for medical assessment but Smith was unaware whether it had been used to support Pullar's case for ACC compensation.
But Labour's ACC Spokesman Andrew Little said Smith knew what he was doing and he should not be allowed to continue in his current role as minister for Climate Change, Environment and Local Government. "It was an artful letter from a minister that knew exactly what he was doing," he told TV ONE's Breakfast.
"He was trying to use his ministerial influence to get a decision in favour of someone who was a friend of his - you just don't do that as a a minister and he knows that."
Little said Smith should not be trusted with the huge responsibility of managing reforms of local government as he has shown his decision making is not reliable. "I think Nick Smith has acted in a way that shows he's not fit to be in cabinet, he is a long standing MP, a seasoned cabinet minister," he said.
"He knows where the boundaries are and he has tried to curry favour for a close personal friend and the department for which he is responsible and that is not acceptable for a minister".
Shabby case
NZ First leader Winston Peters used Parliamentary privilege yesterday to claim it was "a shabby case involving blackmail, sex, a minister with a conflict of interest".
Responding to the claim Smith became emotional when telling media he was happy to answer questions about his public life, but not his personal life. He said he has a wonderful wife who he has been loyal to during the entire period of his marriage, and will be loyal to until the day he dies. The couple married in 2009.
Pullar was also inadvertently emailed the names and details of thousands of ACC clients, including about 250 sensitive sexual abuse cases.
ACC has laid a complaint over Pullar, who it has accused of threatening to go public about being sent the confidential information unless ACC promised to pay her a benefit for two years.
Yesterday Peters along with Labour's David Shearer and Grant Robertson called on Smith to resign over the issue.
http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/nick-smith-under-mounting-pressure-over-acc-letter-4788009
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