Ashburton shooting: Winston Peters says emails to Tully kept bouncing back

Winston Peters was contacted by the man police want to question over the Work and Income shootings.

The man suspected of shooting dead two people at a Work and Income office in Ashburton today contacted NZ First leader Winston Peters last month.

Russell John Tully was quoted in the Ashburton Guardian as saying he wanted to get Mr Peters' help to resolve his homeless situation.

In a statement this afternoon, Mr Peters said his party replied immediately but emails sent to Mr Tully "kept bouncing back".

Mr Peters said: "Mr Tully wrote about the difficulty of getting a house to live in. He said the local member of Parliament [National MP Jo Goodhew] had not helped him.

"An email shows he also wrote to the offices of the Speaker, Minister Gerry Brownlee and Paula Bennett, among others."

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Tully told the Ashburton Guardian last month that he had kept in touch with HNZ, contacted WINZ, mayor Angus McKay and Rangitata MP Jo Goodhew's office for assistance.

He believed his treatment in town warranted further investigation and told the Guardian he would be asking Winston Peters to do so.

Tully, 48, moved to Ashburton following a career in the Australian mines.

He told the paper he had "come home to die" from an unidentified skin disease which caused boil-type lumps if untreated and tightened the joints causing limited movement.

Person of interest: John Tully is wanted by police. Photo / Supplied