PETERS ACCUSES MAHAREY OF PUTTING LABOUR'S VIEWS BEFORE THE PUBLIC

Deputy Prime Minister and New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters has accused Labour MP Steve Maharey of appalling arrogance in his attack on the Government's Code of Social Responsibility.

"This issue is about consulting New Zealanders and working together with New Zealand families on issues that affect us all, yet Mr Maharey and the Labour Party seem determined to continue their baseless attacks on the Code before hearing what New Zealanders have to say.

"First Helen Clark reached an all time low in New Zealand Politics by putting the personal lives of politicians under public scrutiny and now Mr Maharey is telling New Zealanders that what the Labour Party thinks of the Code is actually more important than what New Zealanders have to say on the issue," Mr Peters said.

Mr Peters said that the very least Labour could have done is wait for New Zealanders to have their input before mindlessly criticising the Code without offering any answers of their own.

"Instead they are in disarray, searching for a policy they can use now in a farcical campaign, which is more about political opportunism than searching for real answers. And unlike the Code, no significant public input would be involved."

"Labour already has a record of grossly overspending their parliamentary budget and now they are set to waste more taxpayers' money for purely party political purposes."

Mr Peters said the Code was as much about business responsibility as personal responsibility.

"It is about all businesses paying their proper taxation when clearly some have not been. It is not just about responsibility but, also fairness and one law for all," he said.