Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia insists he did not try to pressure the Maori Party to vote against Winston Peters' censure in Parliament.
Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples says a senior Labour minister tried to pressure him into making the Maori Party support Mr Peters. Dr Sharples has not named the minister who called him.
Another Maori Party MP and Privileges Comittee member, Te Ururoa Flavell, says he was approached by a New Zealand First staff member and asked how he might vote.
The accusations have prompted renewed claims that the whole process was too politicised.
The House on Tuesday voted 62-56 to censure Mr Peters for failing to disclose a donation of $100,000 towards the legal cost of an electoral petition in 2006. It was only the fourth time an MP has been censured in the past 35 years.
Mr Horomia acknowledges he held two discussions with Dr Sharples, but says he made no attempt to persuade Dr Sharples not to join the censure motion.
Winston Peters' response
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the Maori Party's claims are astonishing, however he says without knowing who was involved, it is impossible to respond to the accusation.
Mr Peters has criticised the Maori Party for the way it voted, saying it publicly supported him, then sold him out.
Meanwhile, Dr Sharples says he would be very cautious about working with Mr Peters in future.
He told Morning Report he would not name the New Zealand First staff member who contacted Mr Flavell.
Dr Sharples said he had two conversations with Mr Horomia that "just didn't feel right".
