Tukituki MP Anna Lorck still on the job after ex-staffer's claims of 'erratic' behaviour

Anna Lorck speaking at a public meeting around public transport in Hastings on Saturday. Photo / Paul Taylor

Tukituki MP Anna Lorck has declined to comment further on published claims by an ex-staffer in Parliament that her behaviour as a boss was "erratic".

Lorck continued to carry out some local engagements over the weekend, including a street meeting in Hastings, after a Stuff report detailed the ex-staffer's concerns about her workplace.

The female staffer, who spoke to the news organisation on condition of anonymity, claimed Lorck was "demanding" and gave her menial tasks while she was working as her executive assistant.

That allegedly included being forced to move furniture around Lorck's office for about an hour, and sober-driving the Labour MP home outside work hours. The staffer reportedly resigned from her job this month.

Lorck, in a statement, said she works "as constructively and as supportively as possible to create a positive working environment for my team".

She told Hawke's Bay Today on Sunday she would not be commenting further.

The former staffer, who reportedly worked in Parliament for more than a decade, said she was Lorck's third executive assistant in about a year and a half.

"Her behaviour is erratic, it is really hard to work for her, she is being rude, demanding, she will ask you one thing and send you 15 emails in a day asking you to do all this stuff - she was [all] over the place," the ex-staffer told Stuff.

She claimed she had raised her concern about Lorck with Parliamentary Services in February, but was only offered counselling.

Lorck has been the Tukituki MP since the 2020 election, where she defeated National's Lawrence Yule by 1590 votes.

The claims come in a week where it was revealed new National MP Sam Uffindell had been involved in historical bullying and harassment claims.

Uffindell was asked to leave his exclusive boarding school after viciously beating a younger student late at night.

Labour MP Dr Gaurav Sharma also called out alleged bullying within his own party this week, and was then accused of it himself by a former staffer.