National flipflops on appointment

WELLINGTON: The National Party has reversed its position on supporting senior Donald Trump staff member Chris Liddell for the OECD’s top job, saying his ties to the outgoing president ‘‘cannot be overlooked’’.

In a statement, leader Judith Collins was scathing in her assessment of fellow New Zealander Mr Liddell.

‘‘The rioting that took place in the US Capitol was a disgraceful attack on democracy that has rightly tarnished those who incited and enabled the violence,” she said.

‘‘Mr Liddell’s ties to the Trump administration cannot be overlooked here, making it difficult to see how he would be suitable to uphold the OECD’s strong commitment to democracy.”

Last November she struck a different tone when she threw her support behind Mr Liddell becoming the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s secretarygeneral.

‘‘He’s going to work more in New Zealand’s interests than anyone else who will be up for that job,” she told RNZ at the time.

National’s withdrawal of support from Mr Liddell comes after Act New Zealand did the same.

‘‘Following Mr Liddell’s failure to denounce recent events, Act can no longer support him in his candidacy,’’ party deputy leader Brook van Velden told Newshub.