Dr Gaurav Sharma. Photo / Getty Images
EDITORIAL:
Former Prime Minister David Lange once said of maverick National MP Michael Laws: "There is nothing likely to get you a bigger headline than attacking your own party."
And so it proved too, for rogue Labour MP for Hamilton West, Dr Gaurav Sharma, after he went public with claims of "rampant" bullying from colleagues.
The allegations raised the inevitable headline but also the wrath of his party colleagues who unanimously voted to suspend the outspoken general practitioner "effective immediately" on Tuesday.
Whether Sharma really has been wronged, or has taken slight at what others might consider reasonable criticism, is hard to discern. His published anecdotes so far do not add up to a hill of beans as evidence.
This is not to dismiss his claims out of hand. There may be more to it, as there is no doubt bullying occurs. The external, independent Debbie Francis review in 2019 found bullying and harassment "systemic in the parliamentary workplace" where "unacceptable conduct is too often tolerated or normalised".
It is clear from the details in the Francis review that Parliament is no environment for a shrinking violet.
Parliamentary Service was reportedly implementing dozens of the 85 recommendations made in the Francis Report when Covid-19 played the great disruptor. However, a Parliamentary Service Code of Conduct was published in May, part of which requires all employees to "avoid behaviour, including bullying and harassment (including sexual harassment) which might endanger or distress other employees or disrupt the workplace".
Sharma has every right to feel however he personally feels. Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi has commented in support. But it is difficult to believe a freshly minted code of conduct would be so flagrantly ignored by Parliamentary Service.
The unanimity of the decision to suspend Sharma is significant too, as the Labour caucus is a broad church of 65 MPs. None, it seems, felt Sharma merited another chance.
A review will take place in December to see whether Sharma can return to caucus, be cast out or remain suspended. However, the caucus does have the ability to revisit the estranged MP's status at any time.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Sharma has been offered coaching, mentoring and temporary staff over the past 18 months but has not taken these up. It would seem he has also stopped responding to approaches from his party.
The issue of the separate caucus meeting on Monday night to discuss Sharma's case is a messier affair. This tainted the process and Ardern's explanation, that some members didn't feel they had a safe space to share their thoughts with Sharma present, is less than satisfactory.
Ardern is, of course, correct when she says she didn't want MPs talking about themselves, given the issues facing New Zealand.
As was the case with Laws, who jumped to NZ First in 1996, Sharma has attacked his own ship and alienated himself from his colleagues. Labour decided the physician needed to be brought to heel.
Whether he can remain there is entirely up to him.