Government Minister Nick Smith has quit the Government over two conflicts of interest in letters he wrote regarding a friend's ACC claim. He became emotional in the House as he announced his resignation as minister for Climate Change, Environment and Local Government.© 2012 TVNZ Ltd
"I do so because I made not one error of judgement, but two in dealing with a conflict of interest in respect of a friend who had made repeated attempts to me during my period as Minister of ACC to advocate and interfere in her case," he said.
Smith said the Prime Minister "has quite properly accepted my resignation".
His first error was in July last year when the friend, former National Party official Bronwyn Pullar, said there were concerns about her status prior to a cycling accident she had in 2002. He then wrote a letter "providing knowledge of her in that pre-accident period". Smith said he made plain he was writing in the capacity of a friend and he did not intend to interfere in ACC decisions. "It was an error in judgement" to have written the letter and to have done so on ministerial letterhead, Smith said.
The second mistake was to not declare a conflict of interest in his involvement with another request from Pullar in 2010, he told the House. Then Associate Minister for ACC Pansy Wong had received a request from Pullar via an MP in March that year. Wong declined as she knew Pullar and declared a conflict of interest. ACC then prepared a formal response which Smith signed off, but he failed to declare his own conflict of interest, he said.
He apologised to his friends and family for the mistake.
Arriving in Wellington just before 2pm, Smith faced questions from waiting media but refused to answer and asked to be treated with "a little humanity".
PM John Key said in a statement: "Dr Smith has been a hard-working and diligent Minister, but perceptions do matter and he knows he has let himself down.
"I am very disappointed to have lost such a capable Minister. Dr Smith has made a huge contribution to the National Party and to this Government."
Gerry Brownlee will stand in as Local Government Minister, Craig Foss for Climate Change Issues and Chris Finlayson for Environment.
Labour deputy leader Grant Robertson said after Smith's resignation that it was clear Smith was a "close associate" of Pullar and that ministerial standards had reached a "new low".
'At the moment'
Asked about the matter earlier this morning, Key said he had confidence in Smith "at the moment", but said that could change this afternoon. Under repeated questioning as to the nature of the relationship between Smith and Pullar, Key said he was not prepared to comment, and said Smith is "only human". A spokesman for Smith said he was friends with Pullar.
Labour's ACC Spokesman Andrew Little earlier said Smith knew what he was doing and he should not be allowed to continue in his current role . "It was an artful letter from a minister that knew exactly what he was doing," he told TV ONE's Breakfast. "He was trying to use his ministerial influence to get a decision in favour of someone who was a friend of his - you just don't do that as a minister and he knows that."
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters used Parliamentary privilege yesterday to claim it was "a shabby case involving blackmail, sex, a minister with a conflict of interest".
Responding to the claim Smith became emotional when telling media he was happy to answer questions about his public life, but not his personal life, he said he has a wonderful wife who he has been loyal to during the entire period of his marriage, and will be loyal to until the day he dies. The couple married in 2009.
Pullar was also inadvertently emailed the names and details of thousands of ACC clients, including about 250 sensitive sexual abuse cases. ACC has laid a complaint over Pullar, who it has accused of threatening to go public about being sent the confidential information unless ACC promised to pay her a benefit for two years.
http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/nick-smith-quits-minister-over-two-errors-4788009
No comments:
Post a Comment