Politics

Transport Minister Michael Wood’s partially declared Auckland Airport shares ‘certainly not helpful’

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins shall be talking with Transport Minister Michael Wood this morning earlier than making a judgement over partially declared Auckland Airport shares.

National’s appearing Auckland spokesperson Paul Goldsmith described Wood’s $13,000 price of shares as a “clear conflict of interest for a Minister of Transport responsible for Auckland’s transport network and as Minister for Auckland”.

“For more than a year as Transport Minister, from late 2020 to early 2022, he did not declare his holding. That is a clear breach of the Cabinet Manual. His position may be untenable.”

Wood stated he did declare the shares within the Register of Pecuniary pursuits final yr “when I became aware that I had made an error early on and not declaring them, so this is not a new issue”.

“I declared them in the register last year.”

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF

Leader of the Opposition Chris Luxon throughout caucus run.

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Wood stated he made the Cabinet Office absolutely conscious of the shares from the start of his time as Minister.

He stated the primary yr he was a Minister, “which I apologise for, because I got this wrong, I had instructed the person who deals with these things for me to effectively get rid of those shares”.

“I thought that had happened. I was wrong about that. So I didn’t declare them that year.”

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Transport Minister Michael Wood.

Chris McKeen/Stuff

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Transport Minister Michael Wood.

He stated when he ready his Register of Pecuniary within the following yr, he realised he nonetheless held the shares. He then declared the shares.

“I have acknowledged in this case is that I have made an error in terms of not declaring these shares earlier on. I did declare them last year and I did from the beginning of my time as Minister, make Cabinet Office fully aware of the shares that I held.”

Hipkins stated the state of affairs was “certainly not helpful, but I’m going to have a conversation with him about it”.

Opposition chief Christopher Luxon stated Hipkins ought to have suspended Wood “immediately”, then arrived at Parliament on Tuesday “with some proper answers” concerning the state of affairs.

“We have absolute requirements, and it’s mission-critical in New Zealand we will belief our Government and our governance.

“As quickly as you begin to have relative requirements, not absolute requirements, that’s an actual drawback in New Zealand.”

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