Death threats force MP to change approach to his mobile offices

AuthorHamish Bidwell
Published date26 January 2023
Publication titleHawkes Bay Today
McAnulty, the Minister for Emergency Management and Racing, has clarified a report that suggested the continued threats had caused him to discontinue the practice of staging mobile offices

Local MPs have a long-established protocol of publicised street-corner meetings with constituents or setting up desks in public spaces, where people can meet with them and discuss local issues.

It’s particularly important for MPs with larger and more rural electorates — the Wairarapa electorate extends north into Central Hawke’s Bay.

“Working on the basis that I’ve received multiple death threats, parliamentary security has advised me that I can’t operate my mobile office the way I have in the past for the safety of myself and my staff,” McAnulty told Hawke’s Bay Today, via a statement.

“I’m no longer able to advertise where I’ll be holding my mobile offices in advance which is really disappointing as it means less people are able to come along and so I can’t serve my constituents the way I want to.

“I’m really gutted at the situation as my mobile office was the first of its kind. I take my job as local MP very seriously and this was an innovative way to service a very large and diverse electorate. This sort of behaviour is coming from a tiny group of people, but it is affecting our whole democracy and needs to be...

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