National MP David MacLeod. Photo: RNZ
National MP David MacLeod has redeemed himself and been reappointed to two select committees following a political donations' scandal.
Police confirmed last month they were not taking any action against the MP for New Plymouth after the Electoral Commission referred the matter to authorities in June.
MacLeod failed to disclose more than $178,000 in donations in 2022, and another $10,000 in 2023.
At the time, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was disappointed in his MP and immediately stood him down from both his roles on the Environment and Finance and Expenditure select committees.
As chairperson of the Environment Select Committee, MacLeod had just shy of $16,000 cut from his salary.
Two weeks ago he got appointed a member of the Māori Affairs and Regulations Review committees, signalling he had once again found favour with Luxon.
MacLeod shared a photo on his Facebook page of him being welcomed at a Māori Affairs Select Committee, posting "Wednesdays in Wellington are looking a lot busier for me".
"Looking forward to moving forward and getting stuck into work," he commented.
In May when the National Party discovered MacLeod's donations, he described it as an "inadvertent error" not disclosing the 2022 donations when completing the declaration form in 2023.
Asked how he had also missed donations in 2023, the year he knew he was filing a return for, MacLeod said he could not explain that.
He missed declaring a total of 19 out of 44 donations to his campaign in total.
Luxon said of MacLeod's mistake that it was entirely appropriate to demote him of his select committee roles because the MP had "got it wrong".
"He takes full responsibility for it and good on him, he's been upfront about it and contrite about it.
"He feels terrible about it and I get it, he's disappointed in himself and frankly I'm disappointed in him as well," Luxon said in May.
Late last month, police confirmed to RNZ they had "completed their inquiries into this matter and no further action will be taken".
MacLeod said he was relieved no action would be taken.
In the meantime Luxon had said it was up to MacLeod to demonstrate "he's a great member of the team" and put the work in "to show us he's a good local MP, championing for his people in New Plymouth and doing everything we ask of him in Parliament".
