Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Labour caucus to meet over Gaurav Sharma situation
The caucus was not due to meet until next Tuesday, because it is a recess week at Parliament.
Ardern has been fending off accusations of bullying within the government from her party's own Hamilton West MP Gaurav Sharma, who had an article published and doubled down in a social media post at the end of last week.
Sharma also said his claims of misspent taxpayer funding were hushed up, although the Parliamentary Service said his claims were investigated and no spending rules were broken.
In a post-Cabinet conference this afternoon, Ardern said all the way through this issue and any issue that was faced, "where suddenly our MPs have been in the spotlight regardless of the substance that's brought them there, we have always been concerned about ensuring that the wellbeing of our MPs sits first and foremost".
The government would seek a resolution to these issues this week, "but front and centre will always be the wellbeing of our staff but also of our MPs", she said.
The support provided for the caucus had to be consistent and meet a very high-pressure environment, she said.
"Is this a tough place to be? Yes, and that's why we have for instance ensured that in this new intake we have professional supervision on offer, we have management coaching on offer, professional development on offer, and I can tell you that is a vast improvement on what I have seen in this place over the past 10 years."
She said she had seen interventions from the party whips - Kieran McAnulty who was formerly in the chief whip role, and Duncan Webb - that were used because concerns were raised by staff members around the management of Gaurav Sharma's team.
"It's clear that there wasn't always agreement that was necessary, by Gaurav. But that doesn't necessarily constitute what he has characterised as bullying. I've looked at those processes, I've looked at those interventions. Whilst I don't believe they have substantiated his claims of bullying we'll always look to improve our processes, because some of them are new and they're there to look after our staff, but ultimately to also look after our MPs."
When there was an issue of this nature, the Labour Party's rules set out that it is for the caucus to resolve, she said.
"We haven't formally set down a meeting for this week because it is a recess, there isn't a standard caucus during this time, but we'll look to convene across the course of this week."
Such meetings of caucus outside of sitting weeks were not unusual, she said.
She was confident the communication between the leader's office and the whips was as it should have been, she said.
"It probably is understandable, that given that these are early days for some of these processes that they could do with some refinement. And we should be open to that."
What was black and white in Labour's rules was that issues were raised with whips, the leader, or people nominated by the leader, "and that then if those issues remain unresolved of course caucus can be the place to raise those concerns. So that's very clear, as I've set out those avenues have not always been used in this case", Ardern said.
"When it comes to what happens next though, that's not something for me to predetermine here, that's something for caucus."
The way this was raised in the public domain beginning with the article last Thursday, raised concerns for the wellbeing of the MPs in question but also for the wellbeing of their staff members, Ardern said.
It was in everyone's interest to resolve the situation as soon as possible, she said.
She has not had any other MPs raise that they felt bullied by the whip's office, she said.
"There will be times when there won't necessarily be agreement over their decisions. We do always need to make sure that they have avenues to raise disputes when they arise, I see that as very different to whether or not people believe they've been bullied."
She agreed there needed to be an alternative for MPs to raising concerns with the whips, but said the next rung up would be the deputy leader and leader of the party - Kelvin Davis and Ardern herself.
"Whilst a member of my staff was approached about six months ago, I never have been, and so that is one of the options."
She said Parliament had also been working on establishing a conduct commissioner. She believed there was a reason for such a role and Labour supported the creation of such a role.
"Having that extra person will only benefit this environment and that's one of the reasons why we support it."
She had exchanged some communication with Dr Sharma, she said, "but again I don't think it's in anyone's best interests to traverse that in great detail".
The caucus was not due to meet until next Tuesday, because it is a recess week at Parliament.
Ardern has been fending off accusations of bullying within the government from her party's own Hamilton West MP Gaurav Sharma, who had an article published and doubled down in a social media post at the...
The caucus was not due to meet until next Tuesday, because it is a recess week at Parliament.
Ardern has been fending off accusations of bullying within the government from her party's own Hamilton West MP Gaurav Sharma, who had an article published and doubled down in a social media post at the end of last week.
Sharma also said his claims of misspent taxpayer funding were hushed up, although the Parliamentary Service said his claims were investigated and no spending rules were broken.
In a post-Cabinet conference this afternoon, Ardern said all the way through this issue and any issue that was faced, "where suddenly our MPs have been in the spotlight regardless of the substance that's brought them there, we have always been concerned about ensuring that the wellbeing of our MPs sits first and foremost".
The government would seek a resolution to these issues this week, "but front and centre will always be the wellbeing of our staff but also of our MPs", she said.
The support provided for the caucus had to be consistent and meet a very high-pressure environment, she said.
"Is this a tough place to be? Yes, and that's why we have for instance ensured that in this new intake we have professional supervision on offer, we have management coaching on offer, professional development on offer, and I can tell you that is a vast improvement on what I have seen in this place over the past 10 years."
She said she had seen interventions from the party whips - Kieran McAnulty who was formerly in the chief whip role, and Duncan Webb - that were used because concerns were raised by staff members around the management of Gaurav Sharma's team.
"It's clear that there wasn't always agreement that was necessary, by Gaurav. But that doesn't necessarily constitute what he has characterised as bullying. I've looked at those processes, I've looked at those interventions. Whilst I don't believe they have substantiated his claims of bullying we'll always look to improve our processes, because some of them are new and they're there to look after our staff, but ultimately to also look after our MPs."
When there was an issue of this nature, the Labour Party's rules set out that it is for the caucus to resolve, she said.
"We haven't formally set down a meeting for this week because it is a recess, there isn't a standard caucus during this time, but we'll look to convene across the course of this week."
Such meetings of caucus outside of sitting weeks were not unusual, she said.
She was confident the communication between the leader's office and the whips was as it should have been, she said.
"It probably is understandable, that given that these are early days for some of these processes that they could do with some refinement. And we should be open to that."
What was black and white in Labour's rules was that issues were raised with whips, the leader, or people nominated by the leader, "and that then if those issues remain unresolved of course caucus can be the place to raise those concerns. So that's very clear, as I've set out those avenues have not always been used in this case", Ardern said.
"When it comes to what happens next though, that's not something for me to predetermine here, that's something for caucus."
The way this was raised in the public domain beginning with the article last Thursday, raised concerns for the wellbeing of the MPs in question but also for the wellbeing of their staff members, Ardern said.
It was in everyone's interest to resolve the situation as soon as possible, she said.
She has not had any other MPs raise that they felt bullied by the whip's office, she said.
"There will be times when there won't necessarily be agreement over their decisions. We do always need to make sure that they have avenues to raise disputes when they arise, I see that as very different to whether or not people believe they've been bullied."
She agreed there needed to be an alternative for MPs to raising concerns with the whips, but said the next rung up would be the deputy leader and leader of the party - Kelvin Davis and Ardern herself.
"Whilst a member of my staff was approached about six months ago, I never have been, and so that is one of the options."
She said Parliament had also been working on establishing a conduct commissioner. She believed there was a reason for such a role and Labour supported the creation of such a role.
"Having that extra person will only benefit this environment and that's one of the reasons why we support it."
She had exchanged some communication with Dr Sharma, she said, "but again I don't think it's in anyone's best interests to traverse that in great detail".
Leave a Comment