Barclay emerges to criticise council in ‘unjustified attack’
Outgoing Clutha-Southland MP Todd Barclay has broken his silence to criticise a local council in what has been described as an ‘‘unjustified attack’’.
Barclay, who remains an MP until the general election in September, has all but fallen off the public radar since he was forced to announce his resignation on June 21 amid allegations he made secret recordings of an electorate staffer.
He has missed public events and has been absent from the House and select committees. He remains on his $165,000-a-year salary, bringing home $3000 a week, and receives travel and accommodation expenses.
Yesterday, his media and communications adviser, Rebecca Ryan, answered questions on his behalf in relation to the Government’s tourism infrastructure funding.
Through Ryan, Barclay said he was disappointed the Clutha District Council had not applied for funding through the fund.
Barclay was also critical of the council for not sending a representative to a meeting he had organised with Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Paula Bennett in late June in Queenstown. Barclay was not at that meeting himself.
However, Clutha District Mayor Bryan Cadogan responded: ‘‘I bet you Todd is not as disappointed in us as we are in him.’’
Cadogan said he was personally affronted at the criticism and wanted a face-to-face meeting with Barclay. ‘‘Why his only foray into politics for weeks had to be an unjustified attack on us beats me.’’
Senior whip Jami-Lee Ross and Invercargill MP Sarah Dowie travelled to Queenstown on Tuesday to meet Barclay. Earlier in the week, Ross said: ‘‘We know he’s been going into his electorate office and doing work on a regular basis.’’
A sign on the door of the Queenstown electorate office yesterday said ‘‘I am currently out of the office in a meeting’’, and referred all inquiries to Ryan. When The Press visited the Gore electorate office yesterday, staffer Linda Sinclair, who also serves on the Mataura Community Board, said Barclay was not there.
She referred all questions to Ryan, who responded to another Press employee yesterday: ‘‘Todd . . . is committed and passionate about being actively engaged in issues, looking out for the people of CluthaSouthland’s interests and advocating on their behalf.’’