"However, all weekend I have been inundated with phone calls from West Coast leaders and business people asking me to reconsider. A West Coast group employed a private eye to investigate Mr Stratful and his background, and has quietly released a dossier to selected parties around the region. Mr Stratful did not refer to it in his statement yesterday morning. The Mayors of Westland and Buller also issued statements over the weekend in support of Mr Stratful. Mr Stratful has always denied any conflict of interest between his public and private roles.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 22, 2019 14:37 UTC