Transport Minister Michael Wood has been stood down over his failure to immediately declare shares in Auckland Airport, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has confirmed.
[…] Hon Kieran McAnulty will be Acting Minister of Transport.
“Michael has indicated to me his intention to sell the shares in Auckland International Airport as soon as possible. […]
Earlier, Wood said the issue was an “error” he apologised for and he had believed the shares were held within a trust. He also said he had tried to offload the shares last year but the process “stalled”.
National’s Paul Goldsmith said it was “a clear conflict of interest for a Minister of Transport responsible for Auckland’s transport network and as Minister for Auckland”.
[…] Christopher Luxon said Wood’s position was “increasingly untenable” and believed Hipkins should have suspended Wood on Friday when he learned of the issue.
Read more here. Discuss it on The BFD.