Gaurav Sharma's job on the line as PM calls caucus meeting, secret cameras record 50,000 Auckland drivers unlawfully using phones & significant rain forecast right through to the weekend. Video / NZ Herald
Labour's special caucus meeting to decide the fate of MP Dr Gaurav Sharma will be held this afternoon.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed yesterday Labour's caucus would meet this week to discuss the fallout of Sharma's public allegations of bullying within the party against specific MPs.
The meeting will beheld at 2.30pm today over Zoom, given MPs are currently spread out across the country during recess.
Ardern will hold a press conference following the meeting at about 4pm.
The NZ Herald has reported it is almost certain Sharma will face a vote to suspend or expel him from Labour's caucus for his repeated salvoes at the party.
National leader Christopher Luxon, speaking from Christchurch, wouldn't entertain questions about potentially working with Sharma if he became an independent MP.
"Look it's all completely speculative, they are all issues for the labour party and for Jacinda Ardern to deal with," Luxon said.
He also wouldn't discuss the troubles of dealing with an independent MP - as National did with Jami-Lee Ross - as it was before Luxon's time in Parliament.
On his own embattled MP Sam Uffindell who admitted to bullying and contests new allegations of intimidatory behaviour while at university, Luxon said no further people had come forward with allegations in relation to Uffindell.
Just prior to Ardern's post-Cabinet press conference yesterday, Sharma published his latest Facebook post concerning allegations of bullying by Labour's former chief whip, Kieran McAnulty, among others.
He also attached screenshots of messages allegedly from other MPs who he claimed had also been bullied.
Sharma's chances of escaping a vote appeared bleak unless he backed down: three senior MPs told the Herald his fate would depend on his own actions and ability to convince caucus that he could still be trusted.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during the post-Cabinet press conference yesterday. Photo / Mark Mitchell
One MP said if Sharma stopped his public allegations and exhibited "humility" that it could get him another chance, but Sharma's ongoing Facebook posts and public statements made that difficult.
"It's difficult to see how anyone would have the sort of trust you need in a team with behaviour like that," one said.
Another MP said: "There's always a way back."
Thus far, no other MP has publicly backed Sharma's claims – but those MPs spoken to did support Kieran McAnulty, who Sharma accused of bullying him when he was a whip.
Labour's ruling council has a separate process to investigate and decide whether or not to expel Sharma from the wider party. President Claire Szabo and general secretary Rob Salmond both declined to comment.
The party has a code of conduct which covers both party members and MPs, and grounds for disciplinary action for serious misconduct include bringing the party into disrepute.
Labour's former chief whip and MP for Wairarapa Kieran McAnulty. Photo / Supplied
It is rarely invoked: the last MP to be kicked out of caucus and the party was Chris Carter in 2010 for undermining then leader Phil Goff.
If expelled, Sharma will remain the MP for Hamilton West unless he resigned from Parliament or the party invoked the provisions of the waka jumping legislation to try to force him out.
The situation was sparked by Sharma being told by the party whips that he could not hire further staff after complaints about him by staff – the NZ Herald understands that was triggered after at least three staffers voiced concerns while working for him or when they quit.
Ardern has confirmed there were multiple complaints about him by staff, but he had not taken well to attempts to give him more training and management support.
The staffing freeze was lifted at a meeting on Thursday – but since then Sharma has made repeated statements alleging bullying by the party whips and claiming Labour had refused to investigate his side of the story by looking into his own claims or whether claims by staffers against him were valid.
