Submission claims just don’t hold water

Conservation Minister Nick Smith should stop obfuscating and just admit that a submission on the Tukituki water scheme that he raised concerns about was the same one he claims he never knew about, says Labour’s Conservation spokesperson Ruth Dyson.

“Mr Smith denies having known anything about a highly critical draft document – prepared by his department – until last week, despite being briefed on the contents of the document on Monday July 29.

The submission warned the proposed scheme changes were untested and put water quality and native fish at risk.

“The Minister’s attempts to refute claims that he put the hard word on senior managers to dilute the original submission have left him with little credibility.

“If that wasn’t enough he has now launched a witch hunt into who leaked the draft, while it is also understood there has already been one resignation over the matter.

“It is clear Mr Smith interfered in this process and put a stop to the Department of Conservation doing the job it was set up to do.”

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