Labour MP Taito Phillip Field's lack of co-operation with the police investigation into his dealings with immigrants is outrageous and Helen Clark should act immediately, says National Party Leader John Key.

"If Mr Field has nothing to hide, he would have no problem speaking to the police," says Mr Key.

"Helen Clark herself declared before Christmas that Mr Field's activities were unethical.

"MPs – and prime ministers - should set a high standard of behaviour and uphold certain minimum standards.

"Stonewalling the police in their inquiries is not a standard any political party should be accepting.

"Taxpayers have already had half a million dollars of their money spent on an inquiry that was set up to fail.

"Helen Clark cannot continue to sit on her hands forever just to protect her Government's slender majority."

Prime Minister Helen Clark needs to clearly spell out how she intends to resolve the warring factions that have been laid bare in her fragile coalition, says National Party Leader John Key.

Mr Key is commenting on the extraordinary outburst of one Government Minster, Winston Peters, attacking another Government Minister, Jim Anderton, for his comments on the Iraq war while acting as duty minister.

"The Prime Minister needs to clarify if she intends to leave this sore to fester or if she will be getting the ministers together to discuss this urgent at the earliest opportunity.

"It's clear that increasing instability, tension and lack of accountability will be hallmarks of this dying Labour Government as the year progresses.

"There is an obvious friction just below the surface between Finance Minister, Michael Cullen and Revenue Minister, Peter Dunne on the issue of tax cuts.

"The Prime Minister also to needs to clarify if she supports Mr Peters stated aim of wanting to improve New Zealand's relationship with America, now that she has decided not to discipline Mr Anderton for his anti-American comments.

"The reality is the Prime Minister is being forced to choose between holding together an increasingly unstable coalition and imposing discipline on her ministers.

"The Labour led Government has started 2007 in a shambles, with the foreign affairs debacle, a correction and parole system in disarray, an admission that the tsunami warning system is inadequate, NZ women still being forced to pay the full cost of cancer drug Herceptin, and Taito Phillip Field on permanent leave from Parliament.

"And most of all, 2007 starts with a Prime Minister who shows no intention of wanting to hold any minister accountable for any of these issues.

"Where is the ministerial accountability she once championed?"

The Labour-led Government has started the year with a foreign policy shambles, as Duty Minister Jim Anderton publicly disagrees with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister over Iraq, says National Party Leader John Key.

"Despite what Helen Clark claims, Mr Anderton was Duty Minister yesterday when he made his comments about Iraq," says Mr Key. "If not, then the Government is saying it had no duty minister on deck."

"Helen Clark has attempted to distance the Government from Mr Anderton's comments by claiming he was not speaking as duty minister, but Mr Anderton insisted to Radio NZ today that he was, and that he did not resile from his comments.

"To add to this mess, Foreign Minister Winston Peters today issued a statement calling Mr Anderton's comments 'ill-informed and regrettable', and not reflective of the Government's views.

"Yet this was the same Helen Clark Government that was happy to bag the Americans prior to the 2005 election for political advantage.

"No doubt Mr Anderton, a very experienced politician who would have known the ramifications of his comments, was simply reflecting what he has heard around the Cabinet table.

"He was around, for example, when Helen Clark had to apologise to President Bush for her comments about Al Gore and the Iraq war.

"Now, Helen Clark and Winston Peters are furiously distancing themselves from Mr Anderton – who happens to be the number 3 in the Labour-led Cabinet.

"Helen Clark now needs to say what action she is taking against Mr Anderton."

National Party Leader John Key says the Government should immediately signal to Pharmac that it will free up funding for Herceptin if it's required.

"What's really worrying, is the nagging feeling that this has been a financial decision not to fund Herceptin, rather than a decision founded in the best interests of Kiwi women.

"To deal with that suspicion, Helen Clark should tell Pharmac they'll get extra resources to provide Herceptin if required."

Mr Key is commenting in the wake of the latest Lancet report that suggests very significant benefits from the use of Herceptin for early stage breast cancer.

"This is the research that New Zealand authorities have said they've been waiting for.

"Pharmac's budgets are very tight but Labour is sitting on an $11 billion surplus which it won't spend because of an inflationary environment of its own making.

"What we're talking about is an investment of $20-$25 million in the health of New Zealand women. Labour must sort out its priorities."

Mr Key is confident Herceptin will eventually be funded but he is urging Helen Clark to speed up the process by signalling that funds are available if required.

"A timely decision now could mean the difference between life and death for some."