New twists turn up in tape-gate scandal
Prime Minister Bill English has confirmed disgraced MP Todd Barclay offered to play him the tape recording that led to his downfall.
Speaking after a series of weekend current affairs show appearances, English confirmed Barclay offered to play the recording at the centre of his employment dispute with Clutha-Southland electorate secretary Glenys Dickson.
Dickson left Barclay’s office last year and received a taxpayer funded payout.
English said he turned Barclay down because it was not appropriate for him to listen to the recording.
The prime minister also confirmed that he advised Barclay to co-operate with police in their investigation of the recording, which may have been illegal.
But Barclay chose to ignore that advice.
Barclay’s denials about taping Dickson unravelled after English was forced to produce his statement to police confirming Barclay admitted to him he had recorded her criticising him.
Texts from English to the former Clutha-Southland chairman suggested Dickson’s payout was larger than normal because of the privacy breach.
It is an offence to secretly tape people without being a party to the conversation.
Barclay announced on Thursday that he was standing down at the next election.
Police investigated for 10 months but closed the file after Barclay refused to co- operate, despite stating publicly that he would.
They have now reopened the file after Barclay accepted English’s evidence.
The prime minister has been under mounting pressure over the so-called tape-gate scandal after he previously suggested having no knowledge of the taping or employment dispute.
English produced the police statement on Tuesday after earlier telling reporters he could not recall who told him about Dickson being taped.
English was asked three times yesterday whether he had advised Barclay to wipe the recording, and on the first two occasions answer.
He initially responded: ‘‘I’m not going to comment on any of that. I didn’t give him advice about those matters.’’
When asked again, he responded he was not going to comment because police had stated they were reopening the investigation.
But on the third attempt, English categorically rejected offering Barclay that advice. ‘‘No I didn’t.’’ When asked why he didn’t answer the first two times, English said: ‘‘No I didn’t ... OK, no I didn’t.’’ appeared
Texts from English to the former Clutha-Southland chairman suggested Dickson's payout was larger than normal because of the privacy breach.
not to want to