ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
Labour's caucus will tomorrow consider expelling Gaurav Sharma.
Ardern said there had been no basis to a lot of the claims that had been made by Dr Sharma, "and I think we do need to have thresholds before we launch into things like inquiries that of course come at considerable expense and of course stress and anxiety to the staff that have been drawn in".
Sharma provided a recording of someone he said was a senior MP in the caucus to Newshub, who called him after a meeting he was not invited to.
Ardern said she did not think the fact it was secretly recorded was appropriate and she did not intend to chase down details of who it was.
She said it was her personal belief the person who contacted Sharma was trying to help the situation.
A message from Kiri Allan, shared to the caucus, which Sharma shared with media in a screenshot he claimed shows backbench MPs were being advised on how to avoid the Official Information Act, had been taken out of context, Ardern said.
"What you can see there is a Minister who is concerned - as a decision-making minister, Minister of Conservation, remember ... she needs to ensure that no one seeks to compromise that decision-making. It's only appropriate to remind MPs that it wouldn't be appropriate to lobby a decision-making minister."
Labour's caucus will tomorrow consider expelling Gaurav Sharma.
Ardern said there had been no basis to a lot of the claims that had been made by Dr Sharma, "and I think we do need to have thresholds before we launch into things like inquiries that of course come at considerable expense and of...
Labour's caucus will tomorrow consider expelling Gaurav Sharma.
Ardern said there had been no basis to a lot of the claims that had been made by Dr Sharma, "and I think we do need to have thresholds before we launch into things like inquiries that of course come at considerable expense and of course stress and anxiety to the staff that have been drawn in".
Sharma provided a recording of someone he said was a senior MP in the caucus to Newshub, who called him after a meeting he was not invited to.
Ardern said she did not think the fact it was secretly recorded was appropriate and she did not intend to chase down details of who it was.
She said it was her personal belief the person who contacted Sharma was trying to help the situation.
A message from Kiri Allan, shared to the caucus, which Sharma shared with media in a screenshot he claimed shows backbench MPs were being advised on how to avoid the Official Information Act, had been taken out of context, Ardern said.
"What you can see there is a Minister who is concerned - as a decision-making minister, Minister of Conservation, remember ... she needs to ensure that no one seeks to compromise that decision-making. It's only appropriate to remind MPs that it wouldn't be appropriate to lobby a decision-making minister."
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