29 Mar 2011

Goff leadership speculation dismissed by party president

8:16 pm on 29 March 2011

Labour Party president Andrew Little rejects speculation that a leadership challenge is gaining momentum against party leader Phil Goff.

Mr Goff is under scrutiny for his handling of a complaint involving list MP Darren Hughes who resigned from Parliament on Friday.

Mr Little says any talk of a looming leadership spill is wrong.

"I haven't heard of anything and I'm not aware of anything in this regard. Phil is the (parliamentary) leader and we support him," he said.

Mr Hughes, 32, had been on leave since Wednesday when a police investigation into an incident on 2 March, was first revealed.

A complaint, understood to be of a sexual nature, was made by a man, aged 18.

Mr Goff has revealed he knew about the complaint two weeks before it was made public, but says he has no regrets about his handling of the situation.

Mr Hughes was promoted to be Labour's education spokesman in February. He was also the party's senior whip.

Mr Goff on Saturday also denied any suggestion of a threat to his leadership.

He told reporters in Auckland that he has heard of no leadership concerns nor any difference of opinion about the decisions he has made.

He said a leadership vote will not be necessary at a regular meeting with his front-bench colleagues on Tuesday in Dunedin.

Next on the list

The next person on Labour's list is former Auckland Central MP Judith Tizard, who lost the seat in the 2008 election.

Mr Little says the party's preference is for Manurewa candidate Louisa Wall to take Mr Hughes's seat in Parliament.