Wellington - New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who blames the media for instigating a series of inquiries into secret donations to his party, apologised to reporters Thursday after failing to get them into a closed doors hearing of parliament's privileges committee.

Peters, who has stood down pending results of four inquiries, which include investigations by the police and the Serious Fraud Office, said last week, "Editors of our major newspapers, television stations and radio stations have all decided getting rid of Peters is the most important political story in the country."

But as he arrived for a closed doors meeting of the privileges committee, which is considering whether he broke parliament's rules by failing to declare a donation of 100,000 New Zealand dollars (67,000 US dollars) from an expatriate businessman, he told reporters, "I'd like you guys to be in there but they wouldn't let me do it."

After the three-hour meeting, he said he did not get a fair hearing because newsmen were not allowed to hear him accuse the Serious Fraud Office of acting against him with malice and exceeding its powers.

The Serious Fraud Office is investigating donations from other businessmen to Peters' nationalist New Zealand First party, following allegations they "did not reach their intended destination" and there were suspicions of a "serious and complex fraud."

Prime Minister Helen Clark has refused calls to sack Peters, saying she will await the outcome of the inquiries.

Opinion polls indicate that both Clark's Labour Party, which has governed since 1999, and the New Zealand First party, which has supported her coalition for the last three years, are destined for defeat at a general election scheduled for November 8. (dpa)