Mr Cunliffe took a break to go skiing in Queenstown last week and an anonymous Labour source was quoted in the Sunday Star Times criticising him in strong language given the gap in the polls.
Responding to Mr Cunliffe's questions on regional development in Parliament yesterday, Mr Key referred to Northland and Napier -- "they are the places Labour candidates have been talking to the Sunday Star Times about the leader" -- a reference to Labour's Napier candidate Stuart Nash and Te Tai Tokerau candidate Kelvin Davis, who recently broke ranks with Labour to support the Puhoi to Wellsford motorway extension.
Mr Davis denied it was him, and Mr Nash said he was aware some people were blaming him but it was not him.
"I have been accused by a lot of people. I told them it wasn't me. I've got a right royal battle on my hands in Napier, my focus is on that."
He said Mr Cunliffe had not contacted him to ask.
"I think David's got his own campaign to worry about."
Mr Nash has not gone on the party's list and must win the marginal Napier seat from National to get into Parliament. That is a harder ask when Labour is polling badly and Mr Nash said it would be his last tilt at politics.
Mr Cunliffe said yesterday he believed he knew who it was and was certain it was not a current MP, despite the person being quoted as if they were in caucus. He refused to comment further when asked if he had contacted the person, saying it was between them.
Asked if the criticism was justified he said that had he known how bad the polls were at the time he would not have gone on holiday, or at least would have taken a shorter break.
He did not criticise Mr Key for his longer overseas holiday -- it is understood staff for Mr Key and Mr Cunliffe spoke to each other in advance of the holidays to arrange a truce under which neither would criticise the other.
However, other Labour MPs took the chance to leap in. Damien O'Connor and Chris Hipkins both said Mr Key had escaped free of criticism despite taking almost a fortnight off and going overseas rather than spending his tourism dollar in New Zealand.
- By Claire Trevett of the NZ Herald
