PM denies a coverup on Barclay
vacated the seat, making room for Barclay’s selection in 2014.
Little, Green Party co-leader James Shaw and NZ First leader Winston Peters have all pointed to a ‘‘coverup’’.
‘‘I think that the prime mInister should have asked him to stand down as a member of Parliament when he discovered what he’d done, rather than to cover it up,’’ Shaw said.
The ramifications for the National Party were ‘‘serious’’, said Peters. ’’They were all involved in a coverup where taxpayers’ money was used to get a confidential settlement.’’
Little said the National Party, and probably others, were involved in doing ‘‘everything they could to conceal it from the public’’.
A police investigation into whether Barclay recorded Dickson was closed when the MP refused to co-operate and there was insufficient evidence to continue.
Little said the police got it wrong and they did not have to wait to interview Barclay.
‘‘I don’t accept the excuse the police have given that their inability to interview Todd Barclay was the reason they couldn’t take it any further.
‘‘From the information that’s now available, I don’t accept the police didn’t have enough to launch a prosecution,’’ he said.
Barclay said in a statement: ‘‘I got into politics because I was inspired by the people I worked for, Bill English, Gerry Brownlee and Hekia Parata. I wanted the opportunity to make my contribution too.’’
Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers confirmed police were ‘‘assessing the information that has been discussed publicly in recent days in relation to any impact on the findings of the original Todd Barclay inquiry’’.