John Carter denies doing favours for constituent

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Associate Local Government Minister John Carter is denying doing favours for a constituent after claims a clause was secretly inserted in legislation allowing a Northland man to build a boat ramp on public land.

The change was made by a select committee after Mr Carter advocated for boatbuilder Doug Schmuck, whose bid to use the Opua land had previously been embroiled in a $600,000 legal wrangle.

Mr Carter, who is also minister of Civil Defence, Racing and Senior Citizens, said he was not present at the select committee hearing when the change was made. But he admitted the committee had acted on advice "that probably wasn't as fulsome as it could have been" and said he was seeking to have the clause amended to a more general one.

He stood by his decision to help Mr Schmuck, however, saying the wrangle over the land was a waste of taxpayer money.

Mr Schmuck could not be contacted last night. In a submission to the select committee in September 2007 he detailed his battle over the slipway and described the Conservation Department as the "evil empire of red tape" after a decade-long battle over the slipway.

There had been seven publicly notified applications related to the case, five Environment Court hearings and two district court cases.

But the select committee decision has outraged the Green Party, which lodged a formal complaint that it had brought Parliament into disrepute.

Co-leader Russel Norman said there had been no opportunity for locals to make submissions against the proposal because the law change had never been publicised.

Mr Carter advocated for Mr Schmuck, a constituent in his Northland electorate, to have clauses inserted in the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill allowing the boatbuilder use of public land.

Mr Carter said he was looking at having it changed to a "more general clause" rather than one that was "specific to an individual".

"Actually we should have said that ... we'll allow anyone to apply for the use of it."

But Dr Norman said the change made little difference.

"No-one else, in their right mind, would have a reason to build structures on this piece of public reserve next to Doug Schmuck's boatyard," Dr Norman said.

Mr Carter said he would not apologise for helping a constituent.

"Doug has been frustrated by people who have a different agenda and so the way that we have moved it forward in a bid to save taxpayer money and to represent him is to allow this clause."

He labelled Mr Schmuck's opponents "pedantic".

"I've had enough of it, I want some common sense and that's exactly what we're going to get."

He did not know how many people were opposed to the boat ramp.

"I think I have done my job on behalf of a constituent as he would expect me to."

- © Fairfax NZ News