Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06WELLINGTON721
2006-09-13 06:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Wellington
Cable title:
NATIONAL LEADER'S EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR THREATENS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0005 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHWL #0721 2560606 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 130606Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3260 INFO RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000721
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR D (FRITZ),EAP/FO, AND EAP/ANP
NSC FOR VICTOR CHA
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISD LIZ PHU
PACOM FOR J01E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL NZ
SUBJECT: NATIONAL LEADER'S EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR THREATENS
HIS PARTY'S AGENDA
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission David J. Keegan,
for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000721
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR D (FRITZ),EAP/FO, AND EAP/ANP
NSC FOR VICTOR CHA
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISD LIZ PHU
PACOM FOR J01E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL NZ
SUBJECT: NATIONAL LEADER'S EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR THREATENS
HIS PARTY'S AGENDA
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission David J. Keegan,
for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)
1. (SBU) National Party leader Don Brash has taken a leave
of absence following revelations that he has been having an
affair for two years with a member of the conservative
Business Roundtable. During the fractious 2005 general
election campaign, Brash had been accused of taking large
contributions from and colluding on election strategy with
the Roundtable. The revelations appear to have come to
light in anticipation of the Government's threat to fight
National's accusations that Labour had misappropriated
taxpayer money for its election campaign by exposing damaging
personal information about National Party MPs.
2. (SBU) EMBASSY contacts have confirmed a September 13
Independent Financial Review report that the Nats held a
fractious caucus meeting on September 12 demanding that
Brash come clean about the affair to the whole caucus.
(Senior members had reportedly long known about it.) The
Prime Minister has declined to comment.
3. (C) For months, Brash has been under pressure from
National Party colleagues, who see him as colorless and
incapable of leading the party in overturning Helen Clark's
government. Despite denials by National Party Deputy (now
Acting Leader) Gerry Brownlee, most analysts believe this
will be the end of Brash's leadership. Whatever the case,
the matter will certainly command the bulk of NZ media
attention, wiping the Labour election spending brouhaha off
the front pages and undermining months of National Party
efforts to cast doubt on the Government's honesty. We'll be
reporting more on this story as it unfolds.
McCormick
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR D (FRITZ),EAP/FO, AND EAP/ANP
NSC FOR VICTOR CHA
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISD LIZ PHU
PACOM FOR J01E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL NZ
SUBJECT: NATIONAL LEADER'S EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR THREATENS
HIS PARTY'S AGENDA
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission David J. Keegan,
for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)
1. (SBU) National Party leader Don Brash has taken a leave
of absence following revelations that he has been having an
affair for two years with a member of the conservative
Business Roundtable. During the fractious 2005 general
election campaign, Brash had been accused of taking large
contributions from and colluding on election strategy with
the Roundtable. The revelations appear to have come to
light in anticipation of the Government's threat to fight
National's accusations that Labour had misappropriated
taxpayer money for its election campaign by exposing damaging
personal information about National Party MPs.
2. (SBU) EMBASSY contacts have confirmed a September 13
Independent Financial Review report that the Nats held a
fractious caucus meeting on September 12 demanding that
Brash come clean about the affair to the whole caucus.
(Senior members had reportedly long known about it.) The
Prime Minister has declined to comment.
3. (C) For months, Brash has been under pressure from
National Party colleagues, who see him as colorless and
incapable of leading the party in overturning Helen Clark's
government. Despite denials by National Party Deputy (now
Acting Leader) Gerry Brownlee, most analysts believe this
will be the end of Brash's leadership. Whatever the case,
the matter will certainly command the bulk of NZ media
attention, wiping the Labour election spending brouhaha off
the front pages and undermining months of National Party
efforts to cast doubt on the Government's honesty. We'll be
reporting more on this story as it unfolds.
McCormick