MP sorry for using work facilities to back Brown

Phil Twyford. Photo / Dean Purcell

Just a week after slamming former National Party president Michelle Boag for inappropriate use of her work email account for political purposes, Labour's Auckland issues spokesman, Phil Twyford, has admitted doing the same thing.

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide yesterday confirmed that he had received a complaint about Mr Twyford's use of parliamentary resources to endorse Len Brown for mayor of the new Super City.

Mr Twyford admitted he asked a staff member to send out on his behalf an email to about 1000 people endorsing Labour-backed candidates in local elections.

"This was a genuine mistake. I am now aware of the rules and I won't be making this mistake again," he said.

"It wasn't my intention to break the rules and I apologise."

The Twyford email urged recipients to vote in local body elections and focused on the Super City race.

"If you are in Auckland, your choice will help determine what kind of Super City we end up with," he said.

"If we elect the right people to the mayoralty, council and boards, they will be able to undo much of the harm Rodney Hide has done over the last 18 months.

"Vote Len Brown for Mayor."

He also listed other council and local board candidates the Labour Party supports.

Just over a week ago, Mr Twyford criticised Ms Boag for soliciting money and votes for John Banks' mayoral campaign in emails bearing the letterhead of her employer - Super City recruitment contractor Momentum Consulting.

The Labour list MP said at the time that Ms Boag's association of Momentum with Mr Banks' campaign via the emails "stinks to high heaven".

Ms Boag noted on Radio New Zealand: "My emails aren't paid for by the taxpayer or Parliamentary Service."

Mr Hide said that while Mr Twyford's emails were "not the crime of the century, there are rules around it and candidates feel very aggrieved when this is done".

He had passed the complaint on to the Speaker because he wanted to remind politicians they were prohibited from using resources provided to them as MPs to endorse candidates in local body elections.

"It is vital to maintain local government's democratic independence," the minister said, "and to act in accordance with New Zealand's important democratic principles."

- additional reporting: NZPA