National MP's claims on CV cause bitter row

Aaron Gilmore. Photo / Supplied

National list MP Aaron Gilmore has claimed a high-level finance industry qualification he does not have in a CV published on Parliament's website.

The Chartered Financial Analyst Institute yesterday told the Herald Mr Gilmore was not a member, although he listed membership as part of his list of educational and professional qualifications on his parliamentary web page.

In an increasingly bitter public row between the Christchurch-based Mr Gilmore and Labour's Christchurch East MP Lianne Dalziel, Ms Dalziel this week questioned the veracity of the qualifications claimed by Mr Gilmore.

In a post titled "Who researches the CVs of the MPs?" on the Red Alert website, Ms Dalziel wrote that she was told by a former National Party supporter "that my failed Nat opponent at the last election who squeaked in on the list had exaggerated his brilliant career".

Prompted by what she described as vicious attacks over her work as Christchurch East MP, in a blog posted at 1am yesterday morning, Ms Dalziel said she had decided to "look at Aaron's CV and play with the internet - just to see if the story I had been told was worth investigating further".

Of Mr Gilmore's claims he was a "senior associate, Australian Financial Services Association" and a member of the "Associate Chartered Accounting College", Ms Dalziel wrote there were "no such organisation(s) that I could find".

She also said the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute did not show Mr Gilmore as a current member.

"These anomalies need to be addressed."

Mr Gilmore, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, responded on his own Facebook page early yesterday, saying the two organisations "that she couldn't even Google properly are www.finsia.com and www.nzica.com".

Those are the websites for the Financial Services Institute of Australia and the NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants.

A Finsia spokesman said he could not confirm Mr Gilmore was a member unless the MP gave his consent, but a document available on the New Zealand institute's website shows he was admitted to its associate chartered accounting college some time between May and the end of last year.

A spokeswoman for the international Chartered Financial Analyst Institute said yesterday Mr Gilmore was neither a member of the institute nor of the CFA Society in New Zealand. He was a CFA programme candidate, meaning he is registered as studying towards the CFA qualification which would give him membership.

Mr Gilmore did not return the Herald's calls and messages yesterday.

Prime Minister John Key said he was sure Mr Gilmore would be happy to support his CV, "but I will leave that for him".

Ms Dalziel also did not wish to comment.