Rodney Hide needs to be accountable for Super City

Labour's Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Twyford has called on Local Government Minister Rodney Hide to sort out Michelle Boag’s involvement in John Banks' mayoral campaign.

“Media have today reported that Michelle Boag has been soliciting money and votes for John Banks' mayoral campaign on the letterhead of recruitment agency Momentum which is contracted by the Auckland Transitional Agency to recruit senior executives for the super city,” Phil Twyford said.

“That is a clear conflict of interest and Rodney Hide needs to take action. It is totally unacceptable for the former National Party president Michelle Boag to use a company contracted to recruit for the Super City to campaign and raise money for John Banks.

“Rodney Hide’s ethics as a Minister are already in question after he helped fellow Act MP David Garrett cover-up the theft of a dead child’s identity and his failure to act regarding this clear breach of appropriate behaviour in the Super City campaign, again calls into question his judgement as a Minister.

“This is the second incident involving Michelle Boag. In February the public found out she was advising John Banks' mayoral campaign while also recruiting the super city's chief spin doctor. Now we find she is campaigning for John Banks on Momentum letterhead.

“Yesterday, Prime Minister John Key claimed that Rodney Hide does work to high ethical standards. If that is the case, why isn’t Rodney Hide acting on a clear conflict of interest regarding the Super City?

“Is Mr Hide too busy attempting to prop up his leadership of a failing political party to worry about what is going on in the Super City?

“Whatever the answer, it’s clear something must be done to ensure high ethical standards are maintained regarding the Super City. Rodney Hide is clearly not up to that job,” Phil Twyford said.

ENDS

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