PM Jacinda Ardern responds to the latest claims from MP Gaurav Sharma. Video / NZ Herald
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Labour will hold a special caucus meeting this week to discuss claims of bullying against the party by one of its own MPs.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet press conference, Ardern answered questions on the latest allegations made on social media by Hamilton West MP Dr Gaurav Sharma.
In a social media post at 3pm today, Sharma claimed he had provided screenshots of messages to the Prime Minister's chief of staff when he made complaints about bullying in December last year.
He attached some of the messages to his social media post, however, it was absent of dates.
One of the messages said: "I fear I will have serious mental health issues staying here bro."
"I feel like I'm being poisoned," another message read.
Sharma first made the allegations of "rampant bullying" by some MPs in an explosive column published by the Herald on Thursday.
In today's post, Sharma claims he has been told not to talk to the media following his column - and instead raise issues with the party whips or leader.
"But that's exactly what I have tried to do for last 1.5 years without being heard at all," Sharma wrote.
"And now I am being silenced again; as such the bullying continues. I have been driven to this point because even now the party and its leadership refuse to believe that there is a problem. It's a sad day for our democracy."
Sharma said in his post the complaints made last year were about then chief whip Kieran McAnulty and his alleged bullying.
Ardern reacted to the latest allegations by saying Labour had been concerned about ensuring the wellbeing of MPs.
A resolution to the allegations would be sought this week at a special caucus meeting.
Asked whether she agreed mental health issues were present in her caucus, Ardern acknowledged Parliament was "a tough place to work" but outlined the various support mechanisms in place.
Ardern said she couldn't predetermine what caucus would decide and she was wary to get into details about the employment issue concerning Sharma - but said she was confident tools were used to support those involved.
Asked whether she would investigate former senior whip McAnulty or current whip Duncan Webb, Ardern said she had seen messages between parties and that Sharma hadn't welcomed some of the interventions.
She said the messages didn't substantiate Sharma's claims of bullying.
Ardern was confident the communication between the parties involved - whips, PM's office, Sharma - was above board.
Ardern said some processes involved in supporting Sharma and his staff could have moved faster but acknowledged it was still early days.
Caucus would consider how Sharma publicly released his allegations and whether it warranted any consequences, Ardern said.
She didn't believe it was in anyone's interest to get into the communication conducted between her and Sharma or Sharma and the party.
Asked whether other MPs had brought up their own issues or agreed with Sharma, Ardern said she had heard from no one who had been allegedly bullied by the whips.
She acknowledged there would be times that MPs wouldn't agree with whips but said this wasn't the same as bullying.
Asked whether she thinks there should be an independent avenue for MPs to go down if they have concerns about their whips, Ardern said the next rung up would be the leader and deputy leader of the party would be a source of aid should MPs need it.
She did believe it would be appropriate to have an independent person or body for MPs to approach as well as existing avenues. "Having that extra person would only benefit this environment," Ardern said.
On claims against McAnulty, Ardern again said she hadn't seen evidence that would substantiate Sharma's bullying claims.
Asked whether the relationship with Sharma can be salvaged, Ardern said she would leave it to caucus.
Ardern said the caucus meeting will include the team coming together and Sharma will be a part of that meeting and they will discuss what the next steps are. She wouldn't elaborate on the specific process on how that meeting would be run.
Ardern wouldn't confirm whether the caucus meeting would end on a vote on Sharma's future, as it may not call for that. She accepted resolution efforts could have been made in a quicker fashion.
On any other employment disputes, Ardern said disputes that were ongoing or repetitive may reach her but if they were singular, she may not be informed.
Ardern confirmed she could not provide any numbers on any other employment disputes involving MPs currently.
On her personal feelings on the Sharma saga, Ardern said her view was that she would have hoped not to be in this position in the first place. She said she "genuinely" wanted to hear what the thoughts of Sharma's peers were.
On Anna Lorck, Ardern said she had not had a chance to talk with her since Wednesday. Ardern said she was aware of the issue and that it was a part of a more formal process.
"I believe there is a process and that's why we haven't given a further comment."
A former staff member alleged the Tukituki MP's behaviour as a boss was "erratic".
'A number of issues at play'
On RNZ this morning, Ardern said Sharma's allegations did not warrant an independent inquiry as called for by his Hamilton West electorate committee.
Speaking to the Herald this morning, Sharma said that was "unfortunate" and felt everybody involved should "have an opportunity to clear their name".
On Friday, Ardern referenced her apparent displeasure with how Sharma publicly raised his concerns through a Herald column.
"Clearly, there are a number of issues here at play and that would be one of my primary concerns ... because it relates to other staff members, it does really raise a number of concerns," she said on Friday.
Asked whether he suspected he would be disciplined by the party, Sharma did not want to speculate.
"It's really up to them, I can't decide for them.
"As I said, I just hoped for a genuine trial and resolution, but obviously that's not happened."
Sharma wanted to clarify his mental health hadn't been negatively impacted since going public, saying he was sleeping better than he had been in the last 18 months of dealing with the issue and was focused on working for those in his electorate.
It is understood at least three staff who worked for Labour MP Gaurav Sharma had raised concerns about him after quitting during his first year as a Labour MP - which allegedly led to the staffing freeze that sparked Sharma's public outburst against the party last week.
But Sharma has now received support from his Hamilton West electorate committee in a letter to Labour's caucus and hierarchy in which they describe the MP as "incredibly conscientious" and who has their full support.
The letter, obtained by the Herald, urges the party to independently investigate his claims.
The saga has entered the fifth day, following Sharma's explosive column on nzherald.co.nz last Thursday, in which he blindsided the Labour Party with claims that bullying was rampant in Parliament, and that he had been subjected himself to bullying from another MP.
Sharma told the Herald yesterday he had repeatedly said that if staff had complained about him, Parliamentary Service should investigate him but it had not done so, despite his wish to clear his name.
Sharma said Parliamentary Service and Labour's former whip Kieran McAnulty had also refused to investigate his own claims that one staffer was "incompetent" and not up to the job – and his claims that McAnulty had bullied him while dealing with Sharma's staffing issues.
"Why wouldn't they investigate me as I have repeatedly asked? Even their letter in May said they won't investigate me to clear my name. I have repeatedly said that if there are any claims [by] any staff, please investigate it. I have been the only one who has been asking for an investigation [into] both sides, but they have refused it."
He said some of the claims against him were "beyond ridiculous, some are even fabricated" and evidence in his favour from another staffer had been ignored.
Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero has now also responded to an allegation by Sharma that an MP and their staffer misspent Parliamentary funding – but that Parliamentary Service had not looked into it and had instead alerted the Labour whips' office of his complaint.
Gonzalez-Montero told the NZ Herald that was raised last year and he had looked into it and considered the spending was for parliamentary business and within the rules.
"It related to a Wellington-based staff member travelling to a member's electorate office for the purpose of team building and assisting the wider team. This is normal practice for many members when establishing a new team which has staff dispersed in different regions."
However, Sharma told RNZ "they [Parliamentary Service] definitely did not investigate it". He alleged the misspending was "hushed".
He also questioned why the Parliamentary Service informed the Labour Party about his complaint. Sharma claimed he was bullied as a direct result.
Electorate committee letter
In a new development, Sharma's Hamilton West electorate committee has written to the Labour Party and Labour's caucus in support of Sharma and calling for an independent investigation into the claims he had made.
"Given the serious concerns he has been raising for a long time, we hope [there is] an independent and in-depth inquiry into his claims and give him the fair trial he deserves," says the letter.
The letter, with more than 20 signatures, said Sharma would continue to have their "unconditional support" until any such inquiry reported back.
Labour Party general secretary Rob Salmond said they had received the letter but would not comment on whether the party intended to investigate the claims Sharma had made – or whether it was considering invoking disciplinary proceedings against Sharma himself. Labour's rules include disciplinary procedures against those who "bring the party into disrepute".
The signed letter of support for Dr Gaurav Sharma from the Hamilton West Labour Party.
One of Sharma's former staffers told the NZ Herald last week they had to go for counselling after working in Sharma's Hamilton West office, describing him as "controlling" and the job as "like walking on eggshells".
Sharma had responded by saying his own complaints about a staffer's competence was not taken seriously or investigated.
Sharma said the hiring freeze on him was only lifted on Thursday, following a meeting to which he had taken his lawyer. That afternoon, he had sent the opinion piece on the issue to the NZ Herald, alleging bullying against him by MPs and Parliamentary Service.
On Friday night, he also wrote a lengthy Facebook post in which he hit out at Labour and Parliamentary Service for "bullying", expressing particularly strong opinions about former whip Kieran McAnulty for his handling of Sharma in relation to his office staffing.
McAnulty has not responded to requests for comment. However, last week, Labour leader Jacinda Ardern rejected Sharma's allegations about bullying but confirmed the party whips had been dealing with him over employment issues. She said that had included the freeze on hiring while they put in place coaching and mentoring.
"I was aware that ... those interventions weren't necessarily welcome."
Asked if there was a bullying problem within the Labour Party, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told TVNZ today: "Uh, no."
"In fact, the issues that [MP] Gaurav Sharma has raised have come about as the result of the fact that - as I said last week - we've been aware that there have been employment issues in his staff, in his office," Ardern told Breakfast.
"So staff members raising concerns about his management and you've seen that some of that subsequently has played out publicly."
She said they had an obligation to make sure all staff members were safe and well looked after; which had then seen interventions happen.
Ardern said Sharma had not always agreed with those interventions and that had then given rise to his complaints.
Put to her about detailed bullying allegations and claims of the misappropriation of parliamentary funding, Ardern said the claim that he made to Parliamentary Services was rejected.
"I have looked at this issue - although he never raised it with me directly and the first that I saw some of these issues raised by him was in the Herald."
She said constructive interventions and attempts to improve his office, which he did not always agree with, did not constitute bullying.
Ardern told the AM Show today that Sharma only raised issues after staff raised concerns with his management within his office and interventions were made by the whips of parliamentary service which he disagreed with.
"That is actually the very reason that this has occurred in the first place ... we do make sure we have a good working environment for everyone here in Parliament."
Ardern couldn't answer how many Labour MPs were under bullying reviews, saying with 237 staff she wouldn't necessarily be familiar if there is an issue raised.
"I however am very clear on that we have to have processes that make sure that protect and work through issues that staff members raise, should they raise them," she said.
Ardern said the allegations about misuse of taxpayer money were taken "very seriously" and in this case were found to be unsubstantiated which meant it was not an issue.
"The issue was that [Sharma] believed a staff member had travelled inappropriately with a MP so he raised that with parliamentary services who are in charge of making sure the rules are followed, they found it was not inappropriate."
"With issues such as this we will always look to refine our processes, we will always look to reflect on the way we are conducting ourselves because we do have to be to the highest standard."
When asked if Ardern was going to stand down MPs in question while a review is carried out, just as National did with Sam Uffindell, she said: "no".
Ardern said she had gone through the documentation that existed around these accusations.
"At no point did Gaurav raise these directly with me, even though I'm the leader of the Labour Party."
Last week, Ardern indicated she was not comfortable with the way Sharma had gone public with his issue.
"Clearly, there are a number of issues here at play and that would be one of my primary concerns ... because it relates to other staff members, it does really raise a number of concerns."
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