Dr. Gaurav Sharma will resign as Labour MP for Hamilton West and will establish a new Centrist party.
In a Facebook post today, Sharma explained the reasoning behind his decision:
I have resigned.
A Labour Party panel last week recommended to the party’s governing body (the New Zealand Council) that I be expelled from the Party as a member. I have also been advised that the Prime Minister and the Party plan to invoke the Waka Jumping rule 6 months before the next General Election to remove me from Parliament which will ensure there is no need for a by-election. I have sincere concerns that this underhanded move will mean people of Hamilton West will have no voice in Parliament for 6 months preceding the next General Election.
As such I have decided to resign from Parliament pre-empting Labour’s next step. This will trigger a by-election, giving the people of Hamilton an opportunity to not lose their democratic rights of having a voice in Parliament by underhanded tactics of the government and the Labour Party.
???? CONTEXT
As all of you know 2 months ago I raised some serious concerns re the behaviour of Parliamentary Service and Labour Whips in not only bullying me but many other MPs. Instead of investigating my claims, the Labour Caucus threw me under the bus and tried to spin a story that I was the one bullying my staff (which I continue to say is not true) to discredit me.
The Labour Party told me to stop talking to the media, advised me to say that I had a mental health breakdown which would give me a passage to return back to their camp. Despite having written to Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff in December 2021 with my concerns, providing screenshots of many MPs who had also been bullied, the Labour Party and the Prime Minister completely side-lined the issue.
As I continued to ask for an independent investigation against both the bullying against me, and the fabricated claims by Labour that I bullied my staff, the Prime Minister organised a secret predetermined meeting on 15th August to suspend me from the Labour Caucus. In a 55 minute tape a senior Labour MP repeatedly mentioned the pre determination of this meeting and said that Jacinda Ardern does not want an investigation as it will uncover other things that she doesn’t want in the spotlight.
A few days after this meeting I was expelled from the Labour Caucus as the party realised I was not going to back down from asking for an independent and fair investigation. I was advised by Workplace Relations Minister Michael Wood that not only will Labour destroy my political career they will discredit me and ruin my medical career too. Since then Minister Michael Wood and other Ministers have been calling event organisers advising them to cancel invitations extended to me.
Following my expulsion from the Labour Caucus, the New Zealand Labour Party appointed a three person panel to decide whether I had brought the party into disrepute. Right from the beginning I raised concerns about this panel as 2 out of 3 of its members (the General Secretary and the Vice President) were party of my expulsion meeting from Caucus, meaning they were already tainted in their views. It’s like having a jury at a trial which has already been part of another trial you were in. Labour Party’s own ‘Procedure for Investigating Cases of Alleged Misconduct’ guideline specifically states in section 7.1 that “The Committee members must be selected to avoid both actual bias and the appearance of bias, either for or against the respondent.” There are 24 people on Labour Party’s governing body (the New Zealand Council) but for its three member panel they still chose two people who had already been part of my Caucus expulsion meeting.
In addition to this the terms of reference deliberately limited the panel from looking into any of the allegations I had made. Instead the panel in its report concluded that by releasing screenshots (of anonymous MPs) I had brought the party into disrepute. Instead of appreciating that the content of the screenshots show multiple other MPs felt bullied, the sole focus of the panel was to blame me for unveiling these issues. They also concluded that it was ok for the PM to make statements against me but not ok for me to defend myself. In addition to this they tried to use the spin that I have allegedly bullied my staff as another point against me, despite no investigation being done by the Parliamentary Service or the Labour Caucus re this – I have repeatedly asked for an independent investigation into this.
The panel of three people wrote to the Labour Party’s governing body last week recommending that I be removed as a member of the party. I had met up with this panel a few weeks ago. I also met with the rest of the NZ Council on Saturday 15th October (last Saturday).
Just how MPs of the Labour Caucus have been talking to me in private often leaking information, the members of Labour’s governing council have also been in touch with me re the course of action Labour is going to take. I was advised that because I have become a thorn in Labour’s backside by continually raising issues in the House, Labour plans to take a step by step approach to sideline me. After suspending me and then expelling me from Caucus, and soon removing from the Party as a member, the next step will be the invoking of Waka Jumping rule to remove me from Parliament.
But given the current state of affairs, Labour and the PM were going to wait until the next year to invoke this rule 6 months before the General Election so that a by-election does not have to take place in Hamilton West. This is another way of silencing me but also stifling democracy by taking away the voice of people of Hamilton West.
Based on this information and after spending time in the electorate talking to my constituents since I wrote my Op-Ed in August, I have decided to resign. This will unfortunately trigger a by-election but it means that instead of being without an MP for 6 months as Labour wants, the people of Hamilton will be able to elect an MP to continue to represent them.
????BY-ELECTION COST
The reason I have had to resign is to prevent Labour from taking away the voice of Hamilton West by invoking Waka Jumping 6 months before the General Election. Labour will now try to spin my decision by talking about the cost of the by-election.
But before they do that here are a few things to ask the Labour Party:
1. Labour’s own MP Paul Eagle has been getting paid from taxpayers purse while running as a Mayoral candidate. He also used the MP funding to send a letter to 20,000 houses in Rongotai asking for what local issues mattered the most to people – this was within days of announcing his bid for Mayoralty. Not only this, if Paul had won, a by-election would have been triggered in the Rongotai electorate for MP.
2. Over the years many Labour MPs have triggered by-elections for one reason or another – in fact Labour MP David Shearer resigning and triggering a by-election is how Jacinda Ardern won the Mt Albert electorate seat in 2017.
3. Since stepping down as the Speaker Trevor Mallard has been sitting in the House with no Select Committee duties, no Bills to speak on, no constituent work. In the last 2 months he has been paid well over $25,000 to just enjoy his retirement. Soon he will be on the gravy train to be the Ambassador of NZ to Ireland. And don’t forget he is on the old Parliament contract which means he gets free business class flights for life.
4. Also a quick remind of government’s failed recent spending
– $51m spent on axed Auckland harbour cycling bridge project
$500k in office rent paid after Auckland cycle crossing canned
– $66 million on Dominion Rd Light Rail report – $44million out of this is on external consultants
– $350 million on TVNZ/RNZ merger
– $200 million on Te Pukenga botched polytech reform
????THE BY-ELECTION
I will be running as a candidate in the by-election because I do want to send a message to the government that you can’t silence the voice of the common man – you have tried to shut me up at every avenue but I will continue to fight and stand up – for myself, for my constituents and for people of this country.
Concurrently with the by-election, my intention is to launch a new centrist party with focus on outcomes and action rather than on ideologies. In my dealings with the Labour Whips and the Party at large the one thing that has constantly stayed with me are the words of Labour Whip Duncan Webb who repeatedly said that “the party comes before the country.” I beg to differ on this, as these echo chambers are why we are struggling with progress in many sectors. In order for New Zealand to forge ahead it is important that we place our country before the party.
These are not easy decisions but given the numerous areas where government has failed us it is important that we hold our government (of any colour) accountable. I will publish more details about the new party in due course.
Watch this space.
Anyone believe labours lame response answers? No.
Ardern is slowly getting boxed in. Gauvrav Sharma is doing NZ a service by opening up the sore that festers as Labour. They are collectvely the most useless bunch of MP’s to date, to the degree that they are essentially fraud on NZ.
Ardern’s loyalty is not to NZ but to herself. With a govt like that the Public Service, once a capable executive service body, has been replaced with yab-yab sycophants. Govt needs doers not talkers.
How does the Min of Finance justice his role?
Insurrectionn surely awaits this present gulliblment.
Lets all get behind DR. GAURAV SHARMA
JabSinDa is a pathological liar. Listen to her response on desperate people are stealoimng from a food bank
https://rumble.com/v1ofokn-what-is-going-wrong.html
There is ZERO self awareness; run-away inflation was created by JabSinDa by “printing” 60 billion dollars from thin air, which is immoral theiving from savers, and lending it below inflation to housing investment which pushed up the rent hugely and all other commodity prices. Supermarkets were the only source for food and they jacked up prices during lock downs. All new millionaires are supewrmarket owners sellimng food. Brocolli 4 dollars; cabbage 6 dollars are atrocious prices for our income levels. A huge health crisis awits because of jabbing and lack of nutritive food at affordable prices. JabSinDa is a curse of NZ.
They have literally used taxpayers money to launder money to their families and their mates.
A full criminal investigation is coming. There are many Mahutas in the political scene.
Thanks dr sharma for the truth. It’s very heartening to know that she has moles in her party ready to stab her in the back and release information by giving you a heads up. It’s a shame they remain cowards however clearly holding still to party first country second. Well well Ardern who can you trust even your caucus can’t stand you. Need this now like a bullet in the head don’t ya? Be careful the wolves within your party are circling, and they sense your wounded and weakened not to mention the pack that is waiting for you on the outside .they know they have no chance of reelection with you at the helm and your time is running out…. Tick tick tick
Hamilton west it’s your time to shine. Go out and vote and send a clear message to this government that bullying and underhanded tactics will not be tolerated by the people. Show Ardern that her dismissive stance in regards to Dr Sharma comes with consequences and hold her to account. She has lied and smeared his reputation and now wants to backpedal and lie some more to dig herself out of the hole she has created. This man is holding fast to his beliefs about our country and the people he represents he has resigned for us we the people. This is a very selfless and difficult choice so show the government that this kind of sacrifice gets rewarded, truth gets rewarded, and leave her in no doubt that her time is up. Batter up Hamilton west!!!! and smash it out of the park.
I hope Dr Sharma speaks to Matt King.
I believe he would be an asset to the party in that he has parliamentary experience, business experience and he’s a medical doctor. Also, he has morals, so clearly a better fit for a party that stands for democracy – unlike labour
Seconded.
Or, to Sue Gray of the Outdoors & Freedom Party… 🙂
I find it hard to believe that NZers are even tolerating this govt., Ardern, or any of the other leaders of the other parties. I wrote to all leaders, health officials, and the PM regarding serious concerns I had regarding the lockdown, PCR tests, lockdowns, the jab, in a very extensive email letter. Not one answered – not one. Who is controlling or actually in charge in NZ? The PM is implementing policies from the U.N., and WEF so why are we paying these incompetent people to bring in treasonous policies which work against us? Ardern spoke at the Gates Foundation in late September, 2019 stating she was implementing U.N. Agenda 21/2030 policies – the video is there online.
Dr. Sharma is MY MP and I will support him to the max. We need all people in govt to represent us like he does in this electorate. He worked hard, having many one on one meetings with us – never have I seen any other MP doing this like he did, even though I did not attend any of them but friends I know met with him and were impressed. He spoke up because he could not stand the behaviour and unethical operating by Labour. Their incompetence, underhand dealings and mismanagement is truly astounding. More need to be like Dr. Sharma . I watched him interviewed by our bought and paid for media – not one slip up – a sight to behold, calm, open, and respectful to all of them.
I was speaking to two friends today actually about Dr. Sharma – I said he is PM material, real PM material, and they both agreed. Dr. Sharma has leadership qualities and we need more whistleblowers to come forward and expose what is going on by people who are meant to be representing us, the people, and not their party first and/or offshore globalists.
LABOUR is FINISHED !
They are just too egomaniac to realize that their hoodwinking the people of New Zealand is OVER! Not even big teeth will do anymore.
Trevor Mallard is a disgusting creature. He needs to be indicted, put on trial for crimes against humanity, together with ALL the rest. Make no mistake: ALL parties in parliament have forced us to give up our freedom and health autonomy. ALL OF THEM!
Advice to Dr Sharma: Only a COALITION of splinter parties will be successful to unhinge the current lot from parliament. If anyone who wants to run for office does not realize that and is unwilling to put ego and ideology aside, will not be included in what’s coming.
WE THE PEOPLE had enough of dividing us on grounds of ethnicity, religion, gender, culture, or ideology. ALL current parliamentary parties’ modus operandi is “divide and conquer”. But the NZ people, although slow to act, are waking up! WE THE PEOPLE are coming for THEM! And WE THE PEOPL ARE UNITED!