NZ Herald reporter Kirsty Johnston spoke to Jami-Lee Ross regarding his latest bombshell allegations against the national party.
The contents of a text message which sparked National's call to police regarding Jami-Lee Ross' welfare has been revealed.
Ross is understood to have been sitting in his car mulling over a previous text exchange with his former lover, a National MP, before sending her a response stating: "You get your wish."
It was these four words which reportedly raised the alarm. The former lover alerted a senior member of Bridges' office, ultimately leading to Ross being found by police then taken to Middlemore Hospital's mental health unit.
Blogger Cameron Slater has published some of the text messages in a bid to advance his claim the National Party is to blame for Ross' condition. The Herald cannot confirm the text messages are genuine. The blogger did not respond to a request for comment.
The new text messages appeared to show the former lover acting with urgency at signs of distress.
"Where are you? Are your family there to support you and if not, I will get you help," she is purported as texting to Ross, MP for east Auckland's Botany electorate.
"Jami. Please take my call," read the next message.
The messages are followed by more than 10 missed calls to Ross, who - according to Slater - had his phone turned off.
Earlier this week a spokeswoman from the office of National Party leader Simon Bridges said: "When concerns were raised they were dealt with appropriately.
"The National Party is confident that we have followed advice and made the right decisions on matters concerning Jami-Lee Ross."
When asked about the text messages tonight, a spokeswoman for the National Party said: "Out of respect for all of the people involved, including Jami-Lee Ross we will not be commenting on this any further".
Ross' short period in residential mental health care - and ongoing outpatient treatment - came after the MP spent time away from Parliament for health reasons.
Bridges contacted Slater after Ross went into care at Middlemore Hospital to offer assurances the party and its members had done all they could for Ross.
After two weeks of absence, Ross prepared to return by meeting National Party leader Simon Bridges and explaining his health had improved.
At the same meeting, Ross was presented with the completed inquiry report into the identity of the person who had leaked Bridges' travel expenses to the media.
The report identified Ross as the most likely leaker.
Ross was told by Bridges the report was to be made public - a release trumped by Ross on Twitter with a flurry of allegations against his leader.
Then came Ross' drive to Wellington and return to Parliament in a fury of righteousness.
National Party leader Simon Bridges rejecting claims by rogue MP Jami-Lee Ross. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Now rogue, the MP said during a press conference he had a breakdown following a confrontation with Bridges over issues later revealed to be associated with his adverse behaviour around women.
Ross has denied there are issues although has apologised publicly to the one woman identified.
He accused Bridges of "corrupt" practice around political donations and of threatening him with complaints from multiple women about his behaviour if he did not take leave.
Ross presented the allegations along with what he described as proof, although his evidence appeared to actually disprove the claims he was making.
In the case of a $100,000 donation, information provided by Ross appeared to show the National Party had followed the law. Police are currently investigating a complaint by Ross.
On his behaviour towards women, Ross provided a recording in which Bridges can be heard urging the MP to take time out and describing the allegations against him as effectively the tip of the iceberg.
Observers have described the recording as showing Bridges trying to show the MP the way his behaviour had stacked odds against him.
The disclosure of the fresh text messages by Slater appears to confirm one of National's fiercest enemies has access to Ross' phone and its contents.
Slater previously wrote of Ross scrolling through his messages last Saturday evening while sitting in his car "assessing what had happened for him to end up where he was".
Rogue Botany MP Jami-Lee Ross during his barnstorming return to Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Ross was "homeless, career over" and facing public accusations by his former lover and other women who worked in Parliament for the National Party, said Slater.
"He felt destroyed," Slater wrote, leading to the four-word text message which sparked the scramble for help.
Slater has long-held grievances against National, particularly after he was blacklisted following publication of the 2014 book Dirty Politics.
Blogger Cameron Slater. Photo / Dean Purcell
The book used information hacked from Slater by the anonymous Rawshark to allege Slater carried out dirty tricks "hit jobs" for Prime Minister John Key's office.
Slater's posts on the issue paint Ross as the victim of a conspiracy by the National Party to drive him out.
Newly-selected selected as National's Botany candidate in 2011, Jami-Lee Ross poses with the party president Peter Goodfellow.
The Slater conspiracy involves six women - all who have reported issues with Ross' behaviour - coordinating with Bridges and others in the National Party to place pressure on the distressed MP.
It has been termed a "hit job" by Slater, who has previously presented convoluted theories to support other claims.
In 2014, he developed a theory of a vast conspiracy involving academics, media, political staff and politicians as being behind the Rawshark hack of his computer.
In that theory, the large network of conspirators were apparently working together to trigger Slater's own mental health issues and drive him to suicide.
Those with knowledge of the events which unfolded have described Slater's Rawshark theory as ridiculous.
It is not the first time Slater has allied with someone to challenge a political figure.
The blogger became associated with Bevan Chuang, the lover of former Auckland mayor Len Brown, prior to revealing the pair's relationship.
Chuang later complained of her treatment by the blogger, saying she had expected her identity to remain secret and those associated with him had harassed her.
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call 111.
