PM Jacinda Ardern on what she thinks about Gaurav Sharma calling her a liar. Video / Mark Mitchell
OPINION:
The expulsion of Gaurav Sharma from the Labour caucus is the most senseless divorce between an MP and a party since Alamein Kopu in 1997.
If an MP is prepared to go down fighting on a point of principle, the principle should be greater than the difference between themediation Sharma was offered and the inquiry he wanted on workplace management.
Gaurav Sharma at Parliament shortly after being expelled by the Labour caucus. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Both would have required someone without an interest in the outcome to have explored the claims and counter-claims in an effort to find a resolution.
The longer Sharma has gone on, the more he has enjoyed the attention, and less convincing he has been in his case for an inquiry. Today's reason has been to give former senior whip Kieran McAnulty the chance to clear his name from Sharma's allegations.
Sharma lasted longer than Kopu but her departure from the Alliance and colleague in Mana Motuhake, Sandra Lee, were equally senseless and had some other similarities to Sharma.
She simply was not suited to life as a politician which, on occasion means having to take orders from people in your party that you disagree with.
Gaurav Sharma arriving at Parliament for his political execution from Labour. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Of one thing there is certainty – that Sharma genuinely believes he was bullied by McAnulty in their discussions over Sharma's staff management, and that McAnulty genuinely believes he was not. An inquiry was not needed to know that much. Mediation was needed to help repair relationships that had broken down.
When that was rejected by Sharma, and he doubled down on his criticisms, expulsion was inevitable and completely justified.
Many have questioned whether Sharma arrived in politics with a sense of entitlement. If he did, it was not from having a privileged upbringing. His maiden speech is full of impressive accomplishments in school, university, scholarships and work in medicine which are in contrast with his father's humble start in New Zealand, sleeping rough on occasions, and working his guts out building roads and driving taxis for his family.
His son arrived in Parliament with a sense of success, despite having encountered people such as a prominent paediatric surgeon whom he said had bullied him at university and threatened to kill him and ruin his career. Failure was not part of Sharma's story. He was an over-achiever with exacting standards and the right patrons in the right places.
Supporters in the gallery for his maiden speech included the former principal of Auckland Grammar John Morris and the former governor-general Sir Anand Satyanand.
Gaurav Sharma was expelled in a vote of 60 votes in favour, one against and one abstention. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The surprise is not that someone like Sharma got himself into strife with whips over staff management. Whips are enforcers, and whether or not they are bullies, their job is to be bossy.
What was surprising was that Sharma's colleagues offered him a lifeline last week, with a time-limited suspension and mediation, but he did not have the good judgment to take it. It was a senseless decision on his part.
Kopu resigned from her parties less than a year after being elected at No 12 on the Alliance list.
She was in Opposition at the time but switched sides and became an important if discredited prop for Jenny Shipley's ragtag Government when the coalition with New Zealand First collapsed.
Jim Anderton and Tariana Turia went rogue for the principle of policy, Anderton against the economic reforms of the Fourth Labour Government and Turia against the Fifth Labour Government's answer to the foreshore and seabed court decision. Anderton formed NewLabour and then the Alliance. Turia formed the Māori Party. Derek Quigley had many run-ins with National's Rob Muldoon over interventionist policies and resigned from cabinet in 1982.
Winston Peters went rogue after being sacked from Jim Bolger's cabinet in 1991 for policy disagreements and disloyalty and was expelled from caucus in 1992. He went on to form New Zealand First.
Matiu Rata resigned from Labour in 1979 after being moved off the front bench. He went on to form Mana Motuhake the following year.
Maurice Williamson and Chris Carter fell foul of their parties, temporarily, but both because they believed they were being led by the wrong people at the time, Bill English in 2002 and Phil Goff in 2010.
Some MPs have gone rogue because they had misguided views of their worth and felt they were not given the recognition they deserved, such as ex-National MPs Jami-lee Ross and Brian Connell.
Like them, Gaurav Sharma will become a footnote in the history of MPs who went rogue in the cause of something important.
