Revelations that Michael Wood emailed a false answer to media about his pecuniary interests shortly after becoming Transport Minister means the Prime Minister must sack him, National’s acting Auckland spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.

“Mr Wood was asked by Newsroom what pecuniary interests he had beyond those disclosed in the 2021 register of interests. His reply was ‘None’.

“This was at a time that the Cabinet Office had contacted Minister Wood five times about whether he had sold his shares in Auckland Airport, part of its lengthy and unsuccessful attempt to get him to follow the rules.

“He knew he owned the shares, and he knew they represented a conflict of interest. His answer rested on the fig leaf that he thought because the shares were held in a trust they didn’t have to be declared.

“Nobody buys that excuse. What would be the point of a register of pecuniary interests if a member didn’t have to declare something that the Cabinet Office was telling him represented a clear conflict of interest?

“The list of Mr Wood’s mistakes continues to grow: first, not selling the shares when he became Minister of Transport; second, not declaring them publicly for more than a year; third, while still holding the shares not recusing himself from conflicted decisions as Minister; fourth, not doing what he told the Cabinet Office he would do 12 times; and now fifth, providing answers to the media that were demonstrably false.

“If the Prime Minister has any standards, he will dismiss Mr Wood from all his portfolios today.”

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