Gaurav Sharma, a renegade Labour MP, has been expelled from the party’s caucus with immediate effect.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the statement on Tuesday afternoon, saying it was the most appropriate reaction.
Gaurav will continue to serve as the Labour MP for Hamilton West and is likely to attend Parliament. He will, however, no longer engage in any caucus events or activities unless the caucus grants him permission. This was said by Ardern during a press conference.
According to Ardern, the decision was taken unanimously.
Unfortunately, after repeated tries, Gaurav opted not to attend today’s meeting. I should point you that he did find time to talk with the media.
The judgement will be revisited in December of this year.
Ardern indicated that the caucus is depressed and angry.
You must believe in your coworkers. You must be at ease speaking openly and freely.
Several infractions of our caucus rules in the previous five days damaged that faith, prompting the decision.
Ardern stated that Caucus made clear in making the decision to suspend that the team maintains the authority to revisit the decision at any stage if the rules are breached again.
According to her, Sharma’s acts constituted serious misconduct under Labour’s guidelines.
We expect him to follow the same rules as the rest of us.
Caucus has concluded that suspension is the best course of action in light of Gaurav’s previous breaches of trust.
The caucus meeting began at 2.30 p.m. Sharma texted the media at 2.31 p.m., stating that the Labour Party caucus convened overnight without him to decide his fate.
Members convened about 8 p.m. on Monday, according to the Hamilton West MP, and he was not invited.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earlier announced that the Tuesday meeting will be held to seek resolution to concerns concerning the Hamilton West MP, and that it was up to the caucus to resolve such things.
We will be able to work together as a team since it is a caucus.
She claimed that she sincerely wanted to hear his classmates’ concerns, and that Gaurav Sharma will be a part of that conversation for natural fairness.
Soon after the news broke, Rawiri Waititi, co-leader of the Mori Party, declared his support for Sharma on his Instagram account.
At the time, Waititi characterised Sharma as gutsy and daring.
I just think he has a lot of integrity and mana, and I want to say mihi to him.
During Ardern’s weekly news conference on Monday, Sharma made more charges on Facebook.
READ MORE: Sharma says no problem with spending in Parliament.
Last Thursday, Hamilton West’s first-term MP began a rant against what he called a bullying and gas-lighting culture in Parliament.
On Friday, the MP issued a 2600-word Facebook post describing more accusations and allegations stemming from his service in Parliament.
The Labour Party has consistently challenged and denied Sharma’s allegations.
Due to a lack of trust, Gaurav Sharma has been suspended from the Labour Party caucus.
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