Darren Hughes

Prime Minister John Key has been badly rolled by Justice and Transport Ministers Simon Power and Steven Joyce at today's National caucus on the issue of drink driving legislation, says Labour Transport spokesperson Darren Hughes.

"Just last week John Key said he believed National would allow a conscience vote on my member's bill that will lower the drink-driving blood alcohol limit to 0.05g of alcohol per 100ml of blood," Darren Hughes said.

"I put my bill up because I didn't want to play politics on this crucial safety issue. I wanted to offer an olive branch to members of the National caucus who favoured tough, decisive action to lower the blood alcohol limit.

"Last week John Key seemed to be meeting me halfway when he talked about a conscience vote on the issue, but today he has been embarrassingly slapped down by his caucus colleagues, who have decided the vote on drink-driving limits will be a party vote.

"Clearly Steven Joyce must have found the Prime Minister's comments last week embarrassing and a slap-down as well," Darren Hughes said.

"Steven Joyce had told Kiwis that we needed to do two years' more research to get local evidence before the blood alcohol limit could be changed, and he obviously thought he was entitled to expect support from his Prime Minister.

"The fact that John Key was persuaded, probably by public opinion, not just my bill, that there was obvious merit in a conscience vote made Steven Joyce look indecisive, and I guess it is not the Steven Joyce style to wear that sort of put down lightly.

"The tragedy is that if they put aside party politics and personalities they could prevent the needless deaths and injuries of many Kiwis."