Brethren helped us, say National MPs

Two National MPs say they were helped by the Exclusive Brethren before last year's election but won't take their help again.

Exclusive Brethren members delivered pamphlets and took part in telephone canvassing on behalf of National MPs Chris Foss and Chris Tremain.

Mr Tremain met members of the sect, including Hastings businessman Andy Smith, who was one of the "Secret Seven" Brethren businessmen who published anti-Labour and anti-Green pamphlets ahead of last year's election, the newspaper said.

Church members offered financial assistance, although Mr Tremain did not take any money from them.

"I didn't think it would be wise," Mr Tremain told Hawke's Bay Today.

He met sect members before the Exclusive Brethren's $500,000 anti-Labour and anti-Green campaign was made public.

It has recently been revealed that the Exclusive Brethren hired private investigators to track the Prime Minister, her husband, and other senior Labour MPs.

Mr Tremain said he would have been a "lot more careful" about accepting their help had he known what he knew now.

Mr Foss told the newspaper he was also contacted by Mr Smith.

"He offered to help, [our] general views were aligned in a lot of areas," Mr Foss said.

- NZPA