room ▁bas in ▁while ▁on ▁tax p ayer - fund ed ▁over se as ▁tri ps ▁as ▁Governor ▁of ▁the ▁Reserve ▁Bank ▁voting ▁for ▁Labour ▁in ▁his ▁early ▁years ▁ ▁Camp aign ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 9 ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁National ▁un ve iled ▁a ▁$ 3 . 9   b ill ion ▁tax - cut ▁policy . ▁The ▁first ▁pol ling ▁conducted ▁after ▁the ▁announ cement ▁suggested ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁boost ed ▁National ▁support . ▁On ▁ 2 2 ▁August , ▁Br ash ▁engaged ▁in ▁a ▁tele vised ▁debate ▁with ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ▁leader ▁Helen ▁Clark . ▁According ▁to ▁The ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Her ald , ▁Clark ▁appeared ▁' conf ident ▁and ▁ag gress ive ' ▁and ▁Br ash ▁appeared ▁' def ensive '. ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁questions ▁over ▁his ▁assert iveness , ▁Br ash ▁indicated ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁not ▁attacked ▁Clark ▁during ▁the ▁debate ▁because ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁woman . ▁Clark ▁described ▁Br ash ' s ▁explanation ▁as ▁patron ising . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 7 ▁August ▁a ▁week end ▁newspaper ▁published ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁le aked ▁documents , ▁including ▁private ▁emails , ▁showing ▁that ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁A CT ▁party ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁Business ▁Round ▁Table ▁had ▁ad vised ▁Br ash ▁during ▁his ▁bid ▁for ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁parliament ary ▁National ▁Party . ▁Cont inu ing ▁le aks ▁over ▁following ▁weeks ▁appeared ▁designed ▁to ▁cause ▁the ▁National ▁leader ▁embar rass ment . ▁Furthermore , ▁confusion ▁b ede vil led ▁National ' s ▁potential ▁coal ition ▁options