Turnaround as prof invited to give election interference views

WELLINGTON: The Labour MP in charge of blocking Chinaexpert AnneMarie Brady from presenting her views on foreign interference in elections appears to have changed his mind.

Justice select committee chairman Raymond Huo said in a statement yesterday he was now ‘‘personally welcoming’’ Prof Brady to make a submission to the committee.

He said this was his own initiative and he had not been pressured by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern or any other senior ministers.

He has also chastised fellow committee member National’s Nick Smith for ‘‘grandstanding via the media’’.

But Dr Smith, who welcomed Mr Huo’s ‘‘change of heart’’, said if he had not gone to the media with the issue nothing would have changed.

It was reported on Thursday Labour MPs on the committee voted against allowing Prof Brady to make a submission on foreign interference in elections.

Mr Huo said that had been a procedural decision.

The closing date for submissions on the inquiry was in September last year.

But that was before the committee and Justice Minister Andrew Little decided the issue of foreign interference was going to be the focus of the inquiry.

‘‘The next step, in my opinion, is to decide whether we should reopen the submissions and invite anyone who’s interested in making a submission to do so,’’ he said yesterday.

‘‘I would personally welcome a submission from Prof Anne Marie Brady,’’ he said.

He is also inviting anyone else who would like to make a submission on interference in elections to do so.

On Thursday Dr Smith said he and the other three National members of the eightmember committee all supported letting Prof Brady make a submission.

He welcomed Mr Huo’s ‘‘change of heart’’.

‘‘It was an appalling look for Labour to be blocking New Zealand’s leading academic on the issue of foreign interference in one’s democracy.’’ —