Did Penny Simmonds Cross a Line in Farmers' Consent Dispute?

Did Penny Simmonds cross a line in farmers' consent dispute?

By Lillian Hanly of RNZ The Minister for the Environment is being accused of using her position to influence a council’s legal process in a way that could...

Simmonds accused of using position to influence process

Environment Minister Penny Simmonds. Photo: RNZ By Lillian Hanly of RNZ  Environment Minister Penny Simmonds is being accused of using her position to influence a council's legal process in a way that could also benefit her National party colleague.

Environment minister accused of using position to influence council's legal process

Penny Simmonds says it is "wholly appropriate" to engage with the primary sector.

Minister accused of using position to influence council’s legal process

Reading Time: 2 minutes By Lillian Hanly of RNZ The Minister for the Environment is being accused of using her position to influence a council’s legal process in a way that could also benefit her National party colleague. But Minister Penny Simmonds says it is “wholly appropriate” to engage with the primary sector and the Prime Minister’s Office indicated there was no reason to believe there had been a breach of the cabinet manual. Official docu…