National leader John Key is crying foul over the secret recordings of its senior MPs and pointing the finger at Labour as the source.
Since then, another secret recording of a senior National MP talking about his party's election strategy has been leaked to 3 News.
Two previous recordings exist - one of National deputy leader Bill english; the other from senior MP Lockwood Smith - the latest recording is of comments made by Nick Smith.
Speaking about National's strategy, Smith is recorded as saying:
"We are quite deliberately in neutralise phase at the moment. We don't want to fight the election on Kiwisaver. You got to decide what you want to fight the election on. We want to fight the election on tax. We want to the fight election on education standards. We want to fight the election on law and order."About National's use of Crosby Textor for its election campaign, he was recorded saying:
"There's a whole lot of bullshit talk about them. But the policy decisions are always made by the elected representatives. I haven't seen either of them this campaign. A couple of campaigns I've done a bit of work with them."
Earlier today Lockwood Smith left his meetings refusing to discuss the details of the previous secret recordings - and his deputy Bill English did his best to push cameras and reporters out of the way.
Smith was secretly taped saying there were some things National wanted to do after the election - that were not policy right now.
His leader John Key is unconcerned by Smith's hints of policy that it will not talk about now.
Both Key and Smith have attacked the secret recordings obtained exclusively by 3 News - both are blaming Labour.
National is on the search for the 'secret taper' and may end up going to the police, believing the person responsible could have broken telecommunications laws.
3 News
source: newshub archive
