'Sit tight' MP advice irks

Whangarei MP Shane Reti

Allegations Whangarei MP Shane Reti asked a Northland advocacy group to quieten down until after a byelection have been raised in Parliament.

The Pipiwai Titoki Advocacy for Community Health and Safety Group has been campaigning for several years to seal roads in its area, citing safety and health issues.

In a conversation with the group's spokeswoman, Alex Wright, on March 11 Dr Reti allegedly said, "If we continue down the path we are taking then we will get nothing".

Dr Reti did not respond to messages by edition time but reportedly said he was trying to help the group, not bully its members.

A letter from Ms Wright to the MP after the conversation was tabled in Parliament yesterday by Labour MP and Transport Spokesman Phil Twyford. Ms Wright said Dr Reti was responding to emails from a member of the group threatening to blockade a road. "His manner was not threatening but was just telling me that we needed to pull our heads in," Ms Wright said.

Dr Reti allegedly told Ms Wright essentially to "sit tight" until the Northland byelection on March 28. It was reported Dr Reti apologised if his advice was interpreted as threatening. He also said he had no direction from the Government to advise the group to remain quiet.

Ms Wright said she had been working for 11 years to have about 9km of road sealed. Dust clouds sometimes created white-out conditions, and log trucks were frequent in the area. While Dr Reti is the MP for Whangarei, the area in question is in the Northland electorate.

"I just felt at the time it was a way for us to be shut down," Ms Wright said. "We have been fighting this for so long."