Cam Slater: Michael Wood Sent to the Naughty Step

Michael Wood’s ignominy isn’t over yet. He’s been referred to Parliament’s Privileges Committee in the continuing drama over his failure to declare his share interests and the resulting conflicts of interest.

A highly critical report has found former minister Michael Wood damaged his own standing as an MP and cast a shadow over the “trust and confidence that the public are entitled to expect”.

Wood has been referred to Parliament’s Privileges Committee over the management of his conflict of interests, as he owned shares in companies relevant to his role as a minister.

The Registrar of Pecuniary Interests Sir Maarten Wevers launched an inquiry in June into Wood’s public disclosure of his shares.

Sir Maarten wrote that he was “surprised and concerned” Wood was unable to say if he had read the material MPs are given each year to help them understand the obligation around declaring their interests.

“Mr Wood also demonstrated a worrying and ongoing lack of awareness of the need to correct errors and omissions in his pecuniary interest returns,” the report said.

“Mr Wood was very tardy in correcting his prior returns.”

The Privileges Committee considers and report on issues concerning Parliamentary privilege.

Stuff

Labour MPs dominate the Privileges Committee and recently they effectively let Minister Jan Tinetti off the hook even though she flat-out lied to Parliament.

What outcome eventuates for the hapless Little Napoleon, Michael Wood depends on how liked or disliked he is within Labour’s caucus. If he isn’t that popular then he could face sanctions. But what is more likely is a solid towelling with a very damp and limp bus ticket.

It beggars belief that Michael Wood would have jeopardised his political career for what really amounts to a Big Mac, chips and coke. The hubris he exhibited shows he is unfit for high office.

This raises another interesting question. Was Michael Wood getting too big for his boots, and did Chippy arrange for a convenient bus to trundle along for Michael Wood to be chucked under?

Cam Slater is a New Zealand-based blogger, best known for his role in Dirty Politics and publishing the Whale Oil Beef Hooked blog, which operated from 2005 until it closed in 2019. This article was first published HERE