New Zealand First MP Ron Mark has asked the MP for Waimakariri, Clayton Cosgrove, to come clean, and the Minister of Social Services, Hon Steve Maharey, to reveal the facts about the Government’s proposal to build a youth detention centre at Mandeville.

“Yesterday in the House, the Minister, when replying to an oral question, stated that no decision had been made on the final location of a youth detention centre for Christchurch. When asked a supplementary question as to why, if no decision had been made, had his department spent $500,000 buying land and the sellers forced to sign a confidentially agreement, the Minister replied that no final decision had been made and that they were merely going through the consultative phase.”

“I further asked him, what confidence could the House, or the residents of Mandeville have that this will be a meaningful consultative phase when he didn’t even have the courtesy to consult with his own local Member of Parliament for Waimakariri over the matter and to which the Minister replied, that the local member, Clayton Cosgrove, had been consulted.

“I want to know who is telling the truth. For weeks the people of Waimakariri have watched the local member make a huge political play gaining access to all available media, to promote himself, supposedly in the fight for Mandeville. He told everyone that he was not consulted, that his own Minister had merely sprung it on him and now we hear directly from the Minister that that is not the case,” said Mr Mark.

“I was also stunned to see that when the flack was flying in the House over the issue, Mr Cosgrove’s seat was empty. This despite him being present within the complex during the day.

“I invite the member for Waimakariri to come clean. Is he misleading us, or is his Minister? They can’t both be right! Did he really not know about the Mandeville proposal, or is he just using this whole process to build up his personal profile at the expense of the good people of Mandeville?” asked Mr Mark.

Ends.

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