Saatchi And Saatchi Appointment

Tourism Minister Murray McCully says he has today asked the Tourism Board Chairman to forward to the Audit Office details of the process by which Saatchi and Saatchi were appointed by the Board in mid 1998.

"Comments by Labour leader Helen Clark have alleged that links between Saatchi and Saatchi Worldwide Chief Executive Kevin Roberts and the National Party played a part in the agency's appointment by the Tourism Board.

"Those allegations are completely false, baseless and without foundation.

"For Helen Clark, this is put up or shut up time. She should either provide some evidence to back her claims, or admit that she has none.

"The Government adheres to strict rules in the letting of such contracts. The NZTB advise that they appointed Saatchi and Saatchi through a proper process carried out entirely within the Board and without any political involvement.

"In the interests of protecting the integrity of the Board's global branding campaign, I have asked the Chair to forward details of the appointment process to the Audit Office and am writing today to the Auditor-General to draw the allegations and the documentation to his attention".