Brady invite is back on the table

China scholar Anne-Marie Brady looks likely to be able to address politicians on foreign interference despite an earlier decision to block her appearance.

On Thursday it emerged Brady had written to the parliamentary justice select committee asking to submit in person on the committee’s routine review of the electoral system, which has been extended to look at whether there is any risk of ‘‘foreign interference’’ in our elections. The four Labour MPs on the committee voted against this however, as Brady wrote in February long after submissions closed in September.

Brady is known for her extensive research on China and New Zealand’s relationship, including the revelation that National MP Jian Yang worked at a Chinese spytraining school.

National MP and electoral reform spokesman Nick Smith took issue with this and told media about the matter on Thursday night.

The justice select committee is chaired by Labour MP Raymond Huo, who Brady has mentioned repeatedly in her research.

Yesterday, a spokesman for the prime minister told Stuff that after ‘‘reflection’’ the decision would be reversed and Huo would ask the committee to invite Brady at their next meeting.

Huo himself refused to describe the decision as a ‘‘reversal’’ – saying the decision publicised on Thursday was ‘‘purely procedural’’ and it was his ‘‘personal view’’ that the committee should receive new submissions ‘‘from anyone including Professor Brady’’.

He said that if Smith had not filibustered an earlier meeting the ‘‘next step’’ would have been to invite new submissions.

‘‘The set-up from Dr Smith gave him grandstanding but he has let down Professor Brady,’’ Huo said.

He would discuss with the rest of the committee how to handle any perceived conflict of interest.

Smith welcomed Labour’s reconsideration.