Taieri MP Ingrid Leary Admits Social Media Post About Trail Funding Invite Was “Silly”
Dunedin, New Zealand – Taieri MP Ingrid Leary has acknowledged it was a mistake to post on social media about not receiving a direct invitation from the goverment to an event celebrating $2 million in funding for the Dunedin Tunnels Trail extension. Leary removed the Facebook post Friday, which initially claimed it was “pretty rude” of the government to exclude her, suggesting a bid by National to take credit for work done by local organizers.
The funding, announced by Tourism Minister Louise Upston, will extend the popular cycle and walking trail from its current length to 15km, connecting Mosgiel to Dunedin and utilizing several historic railway tunnels. Upston and Dunedin Tunnels Trail Trust trustees gathered on the trail Friday to mark the investment, which will initially extend the trail to Fairfield, Abbotsford and Green Island, with two further stages planned.
Leary explained to the Otago Daily Times she was sensitive to the celebratory nature of the event and wanted to avoid creating a distraction. “I wanted to ensure that it wasn’t a distraction and so I chose to remove the post,” she said.
While acknowledging she was invited by the local organizing committee, Leary admitted to a “miscommunication in my office” regarding a direct invitation from the government. “It’s a misstep, I own that,” she stated. ”it was silly to go on social media about it and I won’t do it again. My point was that it was unusual not to be invited [by the government] to an event like that.”
Emails obtained by media show Leary’s office had previously communicated she would be unable to attend the event, coinciding with an international flight. Leary confirmed she was travelling internationally and had limited oversight of communications from her office during the flight.
Minister Upston reiterated that Leary was invited “in the usual way” and expressed disappointment her office declined the invitation. “It’s a shame Ingrid and her office chose to decline the official invitation, and I’m still not clear why,” she said.
The Dunedin Tunnels Trail is a significant community project, and Upston described the funding announcement as “great for dunedin and for an outstanding community group.”
