Sean Plunket interviewed dusty roads activist Alex Wright on RadioLive yesterday about her claims that Whangarei MP Shane Reti bullied her.
PRIVATE EMAIL LEAKED TO MEDIA BY LOBBYIST
Up to 100 logging trucks a day use a network of unsealed roads in Northland. Pipiwai Titoki Advocacy for Community Health & Safety Group have have been campaigning for years to improve road funding in the region. Sean Plunket asked spokesperson Alex Wright, the woman who claims she was bullied by a National MP, who is doing the bullying?
I haven’t got time to transcribe it all but here are some key points followed by some transcription.
About fifty members in the group that has been campaigning for about four years.
The group has no rules or a membership list, in the process of making it an incorporated society. Very informal at this stage, they have meetings.
Advocate only on dusty roads.
Not a political group, a community group.
Wright has never been in a political party.
Advocating to get rid of dusty roads.
Been on TV 1 twice covering what they have to live with – Choking dust from trucks has Northland residents demanding help
No contact with Shane Reti before. He phoned her early February.
And then phone call made by Dr Reti Wednesday last week about emails sent out by Andrew Blake referring to the campaign. Nothing threatening in emails. Sent to all Parliament last Wednesday how Northland is neglected in ‘Mike Sabin’s electorate’.
Group’s banners are red.
Then Wright got a phone call from Shane Reti talking about “threatening email, very wish washy.
Email was not signed – anonymous? No name at the bottom. Heading – from AD and CE Blake.
Reti made connection with group and Wright.
Blake is part of the group, Wright didn’t know Blake was sending email.
Dr Reti should have phoned Mr Blake.
Phone call totally unplanned, not forewarned. Out of the blue phone call from MP.
Reti said it was going to be more difficult to advocate if they campaign against National during the campaign.
Political reality.
He doesn’t threaten to do anything.
Plunket “I really can’t see where the huge threat is, it’s just politics isn’t it Alex?”.
Wright “Well, it’s everybody’s interpretation isn’t it.”
Plunket” Have you talked to Andrew Blake about his emails?”
Wright “No but I would be very keen for you to phone him”.
Plunket “Ok but you didn’t tell Shane Reti to phone Andrew Blake which would have been the natural thing to do.”
Wright “That’s right but as i said to you at the beginning the phone call took me quite by surprise, and I basically just listened.
Plunket “The problem is we don’t have the whole conversation do we.”
Wright “No and I only managed to start recording part way…”
Plunket “When was the last time you released, recorded and released to the media, a phone conversation you had?”
Wright “I’ve never done it before in my life”.
Plunket “Who did you release the phone conversation to? How did you get it out there?”
Wright “How did i get it out there? Well in the modern day of technology you just, it’s so easy to email recordings”.
Plunket “Who did you email it to?”
Wright “I emailed it to Radio New Zealand.”
Plunket “Because you knew a reporter there?”
Wright “We have quite a bit to do with the media”.
Plunket “Ok so you basically leaked a private conversation to the news media?”
Wright “Yes. Well I don’t know…”
Plunket “Well how do you feel about that, how do you feel about doing that, how do you think other people might look at that? That an MP rings you and gives you a heads up and says look it’s gonna be difficult for me to advocate for you if you keep stirring during the by-election, that’s just the way politics is. You record that conversation, and then you leak it to the news media. You just, and it’s a free country, you can do that .”
Wright “That’s right, it’s great isn’t it. It’s, I have rights, you realise that?”
Plunket: “Yeah I do, I do, I just wonder if you’re exercising in the best interests of your strategic objective to get rid of dusty roads, that’s all.”
Wright “I think we’re a lot closer now than we ever have been.”
Plunket “Really. So what are you going to do? I mean if you felt so bullied presumably you’re gonna quiver in fear and stop protesting your issue.”
Wright “No, not at all.”
Plunket “No I didn’t think so. So what are you planning, I know there was talk of blockading roads, are you going to do that?”
Wright “Um there’s all sorts of things up our sleeves at the moment, and I’m not going to disclose them of course.”
Plunket “Are you also disappointed that say New Zealand First hasn’t done much for your dusty roads in the last wee while either?”
Wright “Well I wouldn’t say New Zealand First hasn’t been um actually in the background. We’ve had Winston Peters at a marae meeting and he’s ah attended a Northland Regional Council meeting with our group, some of our group members. So actually…”
Plunket “Does your group have a preferred outcome for the by-election…”
Wright “Mr Peters is the only MP that has actually been and met with us. We invited Mike Sabin to try and um…”
Plunket “Yeah. Well he’s not standing in the by-election is he?”
Wright “Who? Who’s that?”
Plunket “Mike Sabin’s not standing in the by-election is he.”
Wright “I don’t know.”
Bizarre.
Plunket “All right Alex, do you have a preferred outcome for the by-election? How are you voting?”
Wright “How am I voting. Well I’ll just say I’m not voting for National. And I’m a straight up person sean.”
Plunket “Yep”.
Wright “I’m down to earth, I’m straight up, and I have nothing to hide. I don’t work in secrecy. I try to email everything that I can because there’s a paper trail. A lot of our politicians choose not to do that.”
Plunket “Ok. Could you email me the emails from Andrew Blake so we can all take a look at them and decide for ourselves whether or not we thought they were threatening?”
Wright “Now, um, I, I better just check with ah Mr Blake that he…”
Plunket “Why? You’re happy to release Mr Reti’s, the recording, the phone conversation with Mr Reti without asking…”
Wright “Oh yeah no problem at all. So so what…”
[email address exchange]
Pluinket “You don’t seem someone who’s too traumatised by being bullied”.
Wright “Not at all. You should ask some of my long time friends. They would know what I used to get up to.”
