New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has laughed off an embarrassing briefing note, describing her as controlling, that Australian officials provided to journalists covering the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting.
Clark is portrayed as left wing and controlling in the briefing note, provided by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) officials to journalists in Niue.
The document says Clark is "renowned for her managerial skill, the discipline she demands from those around her and her tight control of all things Labour undertakes under her leadership".
"She holds generally left-wing beliefs, with foreign policy perspectives forged during the Vietnam War. She does not trust those outside a small circle in Labour and her chief of staff, Heather Simpson, is known as the second most powerful person in NZ (known as H2)," the notes say.
Clark today laughed off the note, but said officials should be more efficient.
"I thought it was quite funny. But as I say, if I was to have my CVs on other leaders fall off the back of trucks, you would all have a lot of laughs as well," she said.
The biography appears to have been first written some years ago, because it talks about "newly-formed" governing arrangements with NZ First and United Future, which happened soon after the 2005 New Zealand election.
"I am a bit surprised that DFAT would draw up something that was clearly written about the time of the last election. There you go, maybe they need to be more efficient," Clark said.
"I think it is a pretty minor thing. I had a bit of a laugh."
