Tauranga locals react to embattled MP Sam Uffindell's being stood down

Several members of the Tauranga community have defended embattled Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell and say he should stay on while others say he must resign.

The Bay of Plenty Times conducted an informal survey of 80 people in downtown Tauranga yesterday and found 33 people who said Uffindell should continue as their MP after he admitted that as a 16-year-old, he beat a 13-year-old boy while at boarding school.

Another 11 people said he should stay on as an MP until an investigation was completed into a second complaint from a woman who claimed to be a former flatmate during Uffindell's university days.

However, at least half of those 11 respondents said should the second complaint be proven he must resign, one saying "it's a step too far" to keep him on.

The complaint alleges Uffindell engaged in a pattern of bullying during their second year at Otago University in 2003. The woman described him as "verbally aggressive".

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She claimed Uffindell would trash the flat after "excessive" use of alcohol and drugs.

The woman said she eventually moved out of the flat after allegedly having to lock herself in her room to avoid a drunken outburst one night.

Uffindell, in a statement, did not address specific allegations but admitted engaging in "a student lifestyle" while at university. He denied he engaged in bullying or intimidatory behaviour.

"While there is an investigation into these accusations I will not make further comment," Uffindell said in the statement.

Another 23 locals said he should resign now, one saying his position was untenable after failing to disclose the assault against the 13-year-old King's College student, during the lead-up to the byelection.

Another 13 surveyed stated they were unsure either way as the assault which Uffindell had admitted, describing himself as a reformed schoolboy "thug and bully", was "so long ago".

Their comments come as Uffindell's political future hangs in the balance after party leader Christopher Luxon refused to confirm whether the new MP would stay on if the allegations about his behaviour at university were substantiated.

Uffindell has been stood down from the party caucus pending the investigation.

If an electorate MP resigned from Parliament at this point, a byelection would be held. A byelection will only not happen if the vacancy is within six months of an election and 75 per cent of MPs agree to leave the position vacant.

An 81-year-old National Party faithful, who asked not to be named, said she had voted for Uffindell but was unsure whether or not he should lose his job.

"I'm very disappointed in him and the selection panel as the assault against the teenage boy should have been made public to the voters earlier. That was the right thing to do."

Another National Party supporter said she had only voted for Uffindell because he was the National candidate for the seat.

"This is definitely not a good look for Sam or the National Party but I think we should wait for the outcome of the investigation into the second complaint."

Another respondent said: "If the complaint from the female flatmate is truthful, Sam should definitely resign."

Of the 33 people who insisted he should keep the electorate seat, many of those surveyed said they had done "stupid things" as teenagers, and it was unfair to use what Uffindell did all those years ago against him, and everybody deserved a "second chance."

Two people surveyed said Tauranga did not need another expensive byelection and for that reason, Uffindell should stay on as the Tauranga electorate MP and prove he was "genuinely a reformed person".

Liz Clark, 63, from Ohauiti says the voters deserve to know the timing and motivation behind Uffindell's apology to his bashing victim at King's College. Photo / Sandra Conchie

Liz Clark, 63, from Ohauiti said she was undecided whether Uffindell should resign.

"But I would like to know more about whether his decision to apologise to the King's College victim last year was political expediency.

"To me, it is still unclear what his motivation was in apologising all these years later and did he apologise before he decided to put his name forward for selection or was it after?

"The public has the right to know more about the full context around his apology, its timing and whether this was genuine remorse and a desire to seek atonement or politically motivated."

One voter said she blamed the selection panel but something Uffindell did as a 16-year-old or even during his university days shouldn't be "hauled out and used against him all these years later".

"I was a little s*** when I was a teenager and everyone deserves a second chance to show they are a changed person. I'm sure other politicians have something in their past they wouldn't want to have dragged up and used against them as adults either."

Raj Yama, 45, from Pāpāmoa said he believed Uffindell should not resign.

"I look at who the candidates are today and the good they can do for our community as much older and hopefully reformed adults, not what they did wrong as teenagers.

"We all make stupid mistakes when we are young and immature, and I think it's unfair to hold the mistake Sam made 23 years ago against him for the rest of their life."

Another party faithful from Otumoetai, who asked not to be identified, said she believed Uffindell should stay on for now as an MP as there was always room for people to change.

"I'm pretty disappointed and I would definitely like to see evidence of significant changes in him before he continues in this role," she said.

However, Glen Manuel, 80s, from Brookfield said Uffindell should "absolutely resign".

"He should have cleared his closet before he put his name forward for selection and this should have come out way before he was selected."