'Don't talk about testicles'

2005-09-14 13:07

Wellington - Don Brash, leader of New Zealand's conservative National Party who is fighting to become prime minister in the coming general election, on Wednesday warned the candidate who could hold his future in his hands to stop talking about his private parts.

Bob Clarkson, a 66-year-old millionaire builder who is standing for Brash's party in Parliament, has admitted a woman worker accused him of sexual harassment in 2001 after he said in her hearing: "I bet my left testicle that the All Blacks (the national rugby team) will win."

Clarkson rejected the woman's accusation of sexual harassment but did nothing to bolster his case when TV3 reporter Sarah Gregory reported on Tuesday that as she talked to him, he said: "I'm having to stand up, my crotch is so sore" and grabbed his crotch.

"A rough diamond'

Brash, whose party is trying to oust the ruling Labour government in Saturday's election, defended Clarkson as a "rough diamond" but said: "I don't want any candidates talking about their testicles, to be quite frank."

The Nationals moved ahead of the ruling Labour Party in the latest opinion poll published on Wednesday but the four-year-old claim of sexual harassment by Vivienne D'Or, 53, who said she told Clarkson "about 50 to 100 times" to stop talking about his testicle while working for him, could decide the shape of the next government.

She emerged as the potential election-winning rabbit pulled out of the hat as a desperate 11th hour move by veteran maverick politician Winston Peters, who faced defeat after 23 years in Parliament.

Earlier polls showed Peters trailing political newcomer Clarkson in his seat of Tauranga and the nationalist New Zealand First party he leads heading for oblivion as voters nationwide polarised support around the two main parties.

Numerous claims and name-calling

On Monday, a desperate Peters revealed that Clarkson had been investigated by tax authorities in 1989 and was subject of D'Ors sexual harassment claim in 2001.

Clarkson said he paid extra tax but was not charged with evasion. D'Or, he added, had a grudge because he sacked her for swearing in front of clients. He dubbed Peters a "slimeball" and said he had stooped to gutter politics to try to save his parliamentary seat.

A colleague of Peters then organised a press conference for D'Or, who called Clarkson a "weasel and a bully" and said she had "sexual harassment-type problems" with him, but made no accusations of assault.

The affair has implications well beyond the North Island east coast port city of Tauranga.

Wednesday's Fairfax-ACNielsen poll, which put the Nationals ahead of Labour by 43-37%, had New Zealand First on 7%, up from its standing in other recent polls, but there is a 3% margin of error and commentators said Peters was still fighting for his political life. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA