The embattled National MP Todd Barclay may have fallen on his sword, but opposition politicians are adamant the Prime Minister is not off the hook.
Photo: RNZ / Supplied
After appearing to dig in on Tuesday night, Mr Barclay was effectively turfed out on Wednesday.
The MP for Clutha-Southland released a statement just after 1pm saying he would not contest the electorate in September's general election following this week's revelations about recordings of a staffer in his Gore electorate office.
Shortly after, Prime Minister Bill English said Mr Barclay had made the right call.
Labour leader Andrew Little said the matter was a total failure of leadership by Mr English.
He said the prime minister had known for more than a year what Mr Barclay had done but had done nothing until the media found out, and said that amounted to a cover-up.
"A leader would have stepped in, would have seen what the possible consequences were and would have controlled it, managed it and shut it down," Mr Little said.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said police seemed to have taken a very different approach to the complaint about Mr Barclay than over the 'teapot tapes' when the former Prime Minister John Key complained he'd been the victim of an illegal recording.
"You know, what happened in the Bradley Ambrose case - the level they went to - they were beating down the doors of the media to get to the truth, and when they didn't get to it they nevertheless warned you all," he said.
