While on a visit to Te Awamutu Christopher Luxon has conceded that the Uffindell saga shows the party needs to improve its candidate selection policies. Video / NZ Herald
Less than two months after winning the Tauranga byelection - by a landslide - National MP Sam Uffindell's career has been left hanging by a thread.
This week on the In the Loop podcast, Cheree Kinnear is joined by guest-host New Zealand Herald political journalist Michael Neilson, who has beencovering the National party scandal from Parliament.
Uffindell was stood down from caucus by party leader Christopher Luxon earlier this week following allegations of bullying in his boarding school and university years.
A victim of his aggression spoke out, saying a 16-year-old Uffindell beat him up — he believed using an unscrewed bed leg — when he was 13 years old in 1999.
All this before a former female flatmate alleged he once pounded on her bedroom door, screaming obscenities until she fled through her window. She also claimed Uffindell would trash the house after "excessive" use of alcohol and drugs.
Then came the photos, and one image, in particular, showing underwear being used as trophies in the student flat of Uffindell.
The cloak rack when it was occupied by then third-year University of Otago student Sam Uffindell. Photo: Otago Daily Times / Gerard O'Brien
It was reported that Uffindell's Dunedin flat was one of the filthiest in the city.
Asked about this, Luxon said: "As a dad of a daughter at university, [it's] not great".
Meanwhile, National deputy leader Nicola Willis said the photo made her feel "pretty yuck".
Speaking on the In the Loop podcast, Neilson said it may not end there, with Uffindell telling media this week he expected "many more reports to come from the investigation".
Neilson also discussed why it could mark the end of Uffindell's short career - even with the allegations being of events from so long ago.
"The question for Sam Uffindell is has he really made amends for what he did in the past? And the way he didn't front foot this from the get-go," Neilson said. "He told media he was a bully at school and has done lots of things in the past he regrets, but when he was asked in the campaign trail if there was anything he regrets from his past, he didn't mention it at all.
"The lack of honesty is not a good look and the question is what does this say about the National party?
"It seems far-fetched that he could remain in the party in any form."
Listen to the full chat on the In the Loop podcast above
