The National Party appears to be stuck with under-fire MP Aaron Gilmore after he defied Prime Minister John Key's suggestion to resign and pledged to remain in Parliament.
Mr Gilmore had been in hiding since Mr Key said he had lost confidence in him on Tuesday, but made a surprise appearance in the House for Question Time yesterday. He confirmed that he would not stand down as an MP. The bottom-ranked MP is under pressure to resign over a boozy night in Hanmer Springs.
Mr Gilmore's past has come under greater scrutiny, with questions being asked about how his contract ended at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The ministry was seeking legal advice before responding to questions on the issue.
Mr Key said he could still not reconcile Mr Gilmore's account with other reports of the incident, and repeated his suggestion that the MP should resign.