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Todd Barclay responds: ‘I did nothing wrong’

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Clutha-Southland MP Todd Barclay has defended himself against accusations of secretly recording a former staffer, saying he “didn’t do anything wrong.”

Barclay has denied speaking to Prime Minister Bill English about the recordings - despite a text from English seeming to confirm they had been made.

A Newsroom investigation has raised a number of questions about the first-term MP’s conduct and whether he did in fact record his former electoral agent Glenys Dickson.

Approached by Newsroom at Wellington Airport to discuss the story, Barclay said he had nothing to add to comments he had made previously.

“Look I’ve covered this topic quite extensively with the media over the last 18 months now and I’ve got nothing further to add.”

Asked whether that meant he hadn’t recorded her, Barclay replied: “I’m saying I didn’t do anything wrong - I’ve been open with media, the police, everyone who’s wanted to talk to me about this particular topic.”

However, the police file on the Barclay investigation shows he in fact refused to cooperate with them. After two attempts to contact him, on July 12 and July 29 2016, Barclay’s solicitor told the lead investigator he would not making a statement in relation to the investigation.

An unredacted copy of the police file obtained by Newsroom includes a text message from English to an official in his former Clutha-Southland electorate, seemingly confirming that Barclay had been recording Dickson.

Barclay denied speaking to English about the recording, saying he “didn’t have a discussion with the prime minister about anything in relation to this at all”.

However, according to Dickson’s statement in the unredacted file, English phoned her at home to tell her that Barclay had admitted to making the recordings when the pair spoke.

“Bill apparently told Todd that he didn’t want to listen to this rubbish.”

When Barclay was asked why English had sent the text about him making the recording, he replied: “Well, I don’t know anything about that.”

He said he had not yelled at staff in his offices, but declined to answer further questions.

Watch: The full investigation story on Newsroom

Read: Barclay payout raises questions over leader's fund

Read: The timeline of events leading to Newsroom's investigation