11 November 2015 MEDIA STATEMENT

It’s black and white: National caught out

The Government has been caught red-handed trying to hide the fact its MPs have been using taxpayer money for political campaigning, says Labour’s State Services spokesman Kris Faafoi.

Documents released to Labour under the Official Information Act reveal National List MP Parmjeet Parmar wanted to co-host a housing HomeStart Roadshow meeting because she was “keen to raise local profile in case of a by-election”.

“The documents clearly state she ‘expressed strong interest in hosting a road show as she is keen to raise local profile in Mt Roskill in case of a by-election’.

“They go on to say the roadshow meeting was to be held at a venue on Onehunga ‘close to the boundary of Mt Roskill’.

“A number of National MPs have held similar roadshows around the country.

“Now we have black and white proof that National is using Ministry and departmental funds for political purposes.

“However in a more than curious twist, the same passage has been redacted in three other places within the same documents. Put simply National has been caught out trying to hide a dodgy bit of campaigning.

“It raises concerns about what else National tried to keep under wraps in these documents and whether this sort of thing is the general attitude National takes to all OIA requests.

“The facts are clear. National has been caught red-handed hiding the truth, and it has been spending taxpayers’ money to campaign,” Kris Faafoi says.

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