New Act MP has brothel connection

New Act MP Hilary Calvert. Photo / Mark Mitchell

New Act MP Hilary Calvert says she has no criminal skeletons in her closet, but she has admitted that a brothel is run from one of her investment properties.

The issue of hidden embarrassments came up after her predecessor David Garrett quit Parliament after it was discovered he had created a fake passport using the identity of a dead child.

Speaking at a press conference in Auckland today, Ms Calvert said she did not have any criminal convictions.

But she confirmed the brothel's existence later in the press conference.

She said there would be trouble if anyone was doing anything illegal at any of her properties.

Ms Calvert, who said she was drawn to ACT because of its policies of less government and more personal responsibility, said ACT leader Rodney Hide had her full support.

A Dunedin lawyer and 10-year member of Act, Ms Calvert said she didn't think there was anything in her past that would disqualify her as an MP.

She confirmed an earlier statement that a brothel was run out of an investment property partly owned by her, though she said she wasn't involved with the brothel.

"I would be troubled if they were doing anything in my property that was illegal," she told a media conference in Auckland today.

"There's also some real estate I'm involved with, we also have a finance company as a tenant, and there are some people recently who think about the same of finance companies as I think some other people think of massage parlours."

Other than that, Ms Calvert confirmed she had no criminal convictions.

"I was going to get a check done of the Wanganui computer to check that that is the answer, but I'm fully confident you won't be finding anything in my past.

"I think I've got a good A minus on that score."

Ms Calvert, who said she was drawn to ACT because of its policies of less government and more personal responsibility, said ACT leader Rodney Hide had her full support.

- NZPA