Police release Bill English audio tape as Winston Peters weighs his options

Police have released audio of an interview with Bill English - in which he recalls a conversation with former MP Todd Barclay about secret recordings.

The audio has been published on the day Winston Peters and NZ First hold a meeting to choose between National and Labour, and on a matter Peters repeatedly attacked English over.

Police spoke to English as part of an investigation, started after Barclay's former electorate staff member Glenys Dickson complained Barclay had secretly recorded her private conversations.

In June English's office released a transcript of his police statement in which he tells an officer: "I had a conversation with him regarding Glenys Dickson leaving his office and he said to me that he had recordings of her criticising him ... he said he had just left a dictaphone on."

Police have now released an audio file of English's statement in response to media queries. It matches the transcript released earlier by English's office.

English also tells the police officer he cannot recall what prompted his conversation with Barclay on the recordings. He says he never heard the recordings or was shown the Dictaphone.

English had initially refused to discuss what he told police. Once that position was reversed and English's statement released, Barclay eventually announced he would not be contesting this election.

The new Clutha-Southland MP is National's Hamish Walker. Barclay is now living in London.

Peters repeatedly attacked English over the Barclay controversy, using parliamentary question time to ask English why he sent 450 texts to Dickson in a year, some in the middle of the night.

The NZ First leader said English had been complicit in a cover-up and should resign.