Disabled carpark row smoothed over

NAPIER - Labour and the Alliance have moved quickly to prevent any fallout from a row over parking for a disabled Alliance member at Labour leader Helen Clark's meeting in Napier.

Labour MP Geoff Braybrooke, Alliance candidate Robin Gwynn and Alliance supporter Graham Hodgkiss, who is confined to a wheelchair, have patched up their differences.

Mr Hodgkiss had contacted Hawkes Bay Today to complain that he had been barred from a disabled parking spot at the Christian Outreach Centre to leave room for Helen Clark.

But yesterday he said it had all been a mistake.

A Labour/Alliance statement said: "Mr Braybrooke acknowledged there had been a misunderstanding with Mr Hodgkiss over a carparking spot at a meeting addressed by Helen Clark after both had made prior arrangements for the same space."

- NZPA