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More information is coming out about the late night texting
antics of North Shore City Mayor Andrew Williams.
When the Prime Minister's personal cell phone went off at 3.00am it
was not a civil emergency or world disaster, but the mayor of North
Shore City with some thoughts on the new super city.
John Key was not amused.
Key says Williams has been repeatedly sending him texts in the middle of the night for six months and his thoughts are not pleasant.
"All I can tell you is the texts I get are aggressive in nature," Key says.
Mayor Williams says he is just making his points known. He says the late messages are because he works at night.
Williams was also up early Monday morning telling radio listeners that he considers Key just a local MP.
"He is just one of my MPs, I don't think of him as the Prime Minister, he's just one of my MPs. I keep my MPs informed at all sorts of times in the day and night," Williams says.
Williams says Key could have raised the issue with him rather than speak to the media.
Key told Breakfast that Williams tends to "rant and rave" in long messages largely about the super city changes in Auckland.
"There's been a few in the last six or seven months and they come at all sorts of weird times of the day and night, generally, actually not the day," he says.
"The problem I have is I have to leave my phone on at night ... just in case there's a serious issue and someone needs me, and occasionally I have been woken up."
Key says he is not interested in seeking an apology from Williams and has not bothered to complain.
"I'm not going to complain about text messages. I've got a pretty thick skin, I just don't spend any time worrying about it."
Williams has also been late night calling his political foe George Wood. Wood's wife says it was mobile and landline calls every five minutes for an hour.
Wood originally invited ONE News to discuss the late night phone calls he has been receiving but changed his mind, saying his family are worried about the harassment they have been receiving, saying they do not want to encourage Williams and that there are lawyers involved.
Williams also reportedly texts other government ministers at all hours and Rodney Hide claims Williams has abused him, calling him a liar.
Cabinet Minister Wayne Mapp says he has also received messages from Williams at unusual hours.
