Sharma Sharma Sharma Sharma Sharma Chameleon

Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, October 19th, 2022 - 74 comments
Categories: by-election, election 2023, elections, jacinda ardern, labour, Parliament - Tags:

So Gaurav Sharma has announced his immediate resignation from Parliament and that he will contest the by election as leader of a new centrist party that will no doubt sweep the next election and make sure that he is placed at his rightful position of next PM of New Zealand.

He is really upset that the Labour Party commenced disciplinary action against him.  I am not sure why.

He was previously upset at Caucus disciplining him.

Putting aside what happened earlier the level of shitfuckery involved in doing a confidential text dump on social media at the very time your leader is giving a post cabinet press conference is exceedingly high.

Despite what he had done the Caucus decided to give him one last chance.  There are some very gentle souls there.  If it was up to me his membership of caucus would have been terminated without hesitation.

And the genesis of his original complaint was his trenchant disbelief that the Whips stepped in to stop him from bullying his staff.  He then claimed them stopping him from bullying his staff was of itself a form of bullying.

Since then he has come up with a whole lot of rhetoric and precious little proof.

Yesterday provided another example.

The party’s National Council is contemplating his expulsion from the party.  A subcommittee has made the recommendation that this happens.

On being advised of the recommendation he decided to resign as an MP and force a by election.  From his facebook page:

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.

There is one serious defect with Sharma’s claim and I can’t believe that the media have not reported on it yet.

National would have to agree to there being no by election.  There is as much chance of this happening as there is of Sharma being given life membership of the Labour Party.

Section 131 of the Electoral Act 1993 states:

Notwithstanding anything in section 129, no writ shall be issued for a by-election to supply a vacancy in the House of Representatives if—
(a)  the vacancy arises in the period of 6 months ending with the date of the expiration of the Parliament and a resolution that a writ not be issued to supply the vacancy is passed by a majority of 75% of all the members of the House of Representatives; or
(b)  following the presentation to the House of Representatives by the Prime Minister of a document informing the House that a general election is to be held within 6 months of the occurrence of the vacancy, a resolution is passed by a majority of 75% of all the members of the House of Representatives to the effect that a writ is not to be issued to supply the vacancy.

It is really, really clear.  National would have to agree to there not being a by election and nothing is less likely.

Sharma claims that the subcommittee was tainted because two members, the President and the General Secretary of the party, were at the Caucus meeting when matters were discussed.  They are not voting members of Caucus and were only there as observers so the claim does not stack up.

And my impression is that all Council members have been extraordinarily careful to make sure that the process has been pristine.  For Sharma to be upset at the way he has been treated after his repeated actions in dissing the leader and bringing the party into disrepute is frankly weird.  He still seems to think he is in the right.

We now have the circus of a by election.  I would be very surprised if Labour wins the seat.  But one thing I know for sure.  Gaurav Sharma’s political career is over.

74 comments on “Sharma Sharma Sharma Sharma Sharma Chameleon ”

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  1. Sanctuary 1
    19 October 2022 at 8:52 am

    Let Gaurav Sharma be the mummy at the feast for all future sweeping election victories.

  2. Incognito 2
    19 October 2022 at 9:00 am

    Sharma is seeing ghosts and telling fibs, again. A doctor might be diagnosing him as having hallucinations.

    But in a statement, Ardern, the Labour leader, said the party's position on Dr Sharma and the waka-jumping legislation has not changed.

    "We have not, and are not, considering invoking the waka jumping provisions, nor do I know the basis of Gaurav Sharma's speculation," she said

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/10/gaurav-sharma-resigning-will-trigger-by-election-independent-mp-says-in-facebook-post.html

  3. observer 3
    19 October 2022 at 9:11 am

    But one thing I know for sure. Gaurav Sharma’s political career is over.

    That is the silver lining here. An attention-seeker can put the gun to his head and threaten to pull the trigger, but once he has pulled it … it can't be un-pulled. It's his final shot.

    Though Sharma is so deluded he probably thinks he can reload posthumously.

  4. Reality 4
    19 October 2022 at 9:23 am

    A deluded, very self opinionated attention seeker. Seems to enjoy being in the limelight when the cameras on him, looking ever so pleased with himself. "Here I am, getting the attention I deserve".

  5. weka 5
    19 October 2022 at 9:26 am

    strong contender for best post title of the year micky.

    • Anker 5.1
      19 October 2022 at 9:32 am

      Agree Weka. The headline made me smile.

      Re the by-election. What a waste of tax payers money.

      • alwyn 5.1.1
        19 October 2022 at 9:43 am

        Would you have said the same thing if Paul Eagle had won the Mayoralty in Wellington?

        Should Jacinda Ardern have announced that, rather than backing Paul for the job, she disapproved of him standing as it would cost the New Zealand taxpayer money to pay for a by-election if he won? Then should she have called on the residents of Wellington to NOT vote for him?

        • observer 5.1.1.1
          19 October 2022 at 9:47 am

          Same reply as to Jimmy on Open Mike.

          It's laughable how you guys think this is a clever line, like the class clown who doesn't do his homework but tries to mask his ignorance with witless jibes.

        • Jack 5.1.1.2
          19 October 2022 at 9:56 am

          100%

          The delicious irony of a PM only two weeks ago actively endorsing a sitting for another job now claiming foul on the cost of a by-election l.

          • observer 5.1.1.2.1
            19 October 2022 at 10:10 am

            Oh god, the stupidity never ends.

            I'm not going to spend the whole day explaining the obvious to the obtuse, so I'll do it one last time, and very slowly for you.

            MPs should (IMO) serve a 3 year term. But Simon Bridges and Paul Eagle and Jonathan Coleman and David Shearer and many more… wanted to do something else. I'd rather they hadn't, but there it is.

            Gaurav Sharma wants to keep doing the same job. That is the purpose of his by-election. It is the very definition of waste.

            And if you say "Whaddabout Winston Peters and Tariana Turia?", ask yourself why they resigned, and where their parties are now. Still alive, 20+ years later, because their parties were formed for fundamental policy reasons.

            Then ask yourself where Sharma will be, and you have your answer.

            • alwyn 5.1.1.2.1.1
              19 October 2022 at 4:24 pm

              Paul Eagle appeared to have decided that he could, in spite of having accepted a job for 3 years, flit off to something else on a whim.

              Sharma is actually making a principled decision. He isn't wanting to do the same job as you propose. If he gets re-elected it will be to a different job. At the moment his job is that of an MP who was elected under the Labour mantle. Even though he has been expelled from the Caucus he remains in a position that he can be evicted from the House at any moment on the desire of the PM to get rid of him. I can see why she doesn't want a by-election at this moment but I can certainly see why she wants him gone. The only reason she hasn't dumped him already, at least in my opinion, is that she probably expects her party to get badly beaten if the people of Hamilton get the chance to switch MPs in a by-election.

              Should Sharma win in the by-election he will be holding the seat in his own right and free of the whim of the PM to kick him out of the House. He would no longer have to worry about the tyranny of having the threat of eviction hanging over him.

              In Martin Luther King's immortal phrase at the March on Washington. He will be "Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.".

              Will he win? I certainly don't think so. However if he wants to be free he has to try and that is what he proposes to do.

        • weka 5.1.1.3
          19 October 2022 at 10:04 am

          Is Paul Eagle also self centred, with major boundary and respect problems and unsuitable for public office?

          • alwyn 5.1.1.3.1
            19 October 2022 at 11:18 am

            When you put it like that I would have to say, having observed him when he was on the Council here in Wellington and during his Mayoral campaign I would have to say yes. He really is quite unsuitable for public office.

            • Jack 5.1.1.3.1.1
              19 October 2022 at 11:55 am

              If that is the case then, it does raise the wider question of whether Labour has an issue with their candidate selection process.

              • alwyn …
                19 October 2022 at 12:06 pm

                Nah. I just think he is thick. If that was really a disqualifying characteristic we would lose at least half of the Labour MPs.

                On second thoughts that might be a very good thing. Losing half their MPs in the next election looks very likely of course. It's just a pity that it won't be the most useless ones.

                • Jack …
                  19 October 2022 at 12:12 pm

                  Just so long as Chippy gets back in. I’ve got a lot of time for him and he’ll make a good opposition leader. Maybe O’Connor too. The rest, much less fussed about what happens to them.

        • Anker 5.1.1.4
          19 October 2022 at 6:37 pm

          If you are asking me about Eagle, yes I thought that was ridiculous. It wasn't like he had really had enough of politics or knew he wasn't suited so needed to move on. Nor did he have the guts to resign. Wanted a bob each way.

    • mickysavage 5.2
      19 October 2022 at 9:38 am

      Thanks Weka. For those who were not awake in the 1980s this is a musical reference.

    • Ad 5.3
      19 October 2022 at 11:09 am

      Mickey freaking stole it from me last night!

  6. Anne 6
    19 October 2022 at 9:29 am

    The man is so eaten with malice he is willing to tell lies to substantiate his claims. He is pointing the finger at former colleagues and claiming they told him this, that or the other. Those colleagues owe it to themselves and to Labour to not only vociferously dismiss the claims but to charge Sharma in no uncertain terms with lying. That includes the Prime Minister.

    I can testify from personal experience that if you don't forcefully defend yourself, false memes will follow you for years to come. In this case Labour will be fighting an uphill battle if they think they can hide under a bushel. People (I discovered) love a supposed scandal and will believe anything that is told them.

  7. tsmithfield 7
    19 October 2022 at 9:37 am

    This move was entirely predictable given that Sharma's goal seems to be to inflict as much trauma on the Labour Party as possible.

    If National really wanted to pile on the hurt, then they could decline to contest the bi-election, given the result is inconsequential anyway, and encourage National supporters to vote for Sharma. Then leave it to Labour and Sharma to slug it out.

    It would be absolutely embarrassing for Labour if they lost to Sharma, so would be a nightmare scenario for them.

    I doubt National are going to take this course of action though.

    • Peter 7.1
      19 October 2022 at 10:23 am

      It's most unlikely Labour will lose to Sharma. It's most unlikely that National won't win.

      2020: Sharma. 20,703 Macindoe 14,436. Unique circumstances which are different this time.

      Any National candidate will get a bigger % than last time, Sharma and Labour will split the rest. ACT put up a candidate to make an appearance? 3% candidate 7% party last time.

      Sharma has gone Jami-Lee Ross.

      • James Simpson 7.1.1
        19 October 2022 at 11:49 am

        Sharma will be lucky to get 100 votes. Who will be voting for him? He is only there because of the Labour Party.

        Labour should and hopefully will put up a strong local candidate. They hold a 6,267 majority which should be more than enough to win again.

        National won't be able to pull back that much of a swing.

    • X Socialist 7.2
      19 October 2022 at 10:28 am

      I hadn't thought of that. You have a devious mind TS. Luckily for Labour, National hasn't the brains to think up such a strategy.

  8. X Socialist 8
    19 October 2022 at 10:26 am

    'And the genesis of his original complaint was his trenchant disbelief that the Whips stepped in to stop him from bullying his staff. He then claimed them stopping him from bullying his staff was of itself a form of bullying.'

    Allegations of bullying by Sharma and Labour? Or proven fact? Of course we don't know because Labour refused to have an inquiry into Sharma's allegations. Hey Presto dudes! Look what's been pulled out of the hat. Marvellous!

    All that's now left is for National to call on Hamilton voters to come out in force and send Labour a message.

  9. Patricia Bremner 9
    19 October 2022 at 10:26 am

    It appears Sharma is really being vindictive and causing expense, which shows huge hubris. Voters will react accordingly. I think he is deluded, but time will tell.

    As for a defining moment for National, Hamilton West is like Auckland, usually favouring National, so using it as a bellwether so far out from the next election will be of interest but not definitive.

    To me the quality of the National Representative will be open to scrutiny, owing to their past poor candidate choices. They have to get this one right, or any gains may be shaky. imo.

  10. Adrian 10
    19 October 2022 at 10:35 am

    The most egregious example of grandstanding arseholery in a millennium. He hasn't resigned from Parliament if he intends to re-stand for parliament.

    You can't get away with this sort of bullshit in any other field.

  11. Tiger Mountain 11
    19 October 2022 at 11:17 am

    Mr Sharma presents as an egotist and public self pleasurer, who takes him self way too seriously. Good grief, new MPs get induction and training and can always study some NZ political history for themselves to figure out how things might or do work.

    Most parties have had some damaged goods and duds low on their lists, or in seats unlikely to be won. Being a useful MP is a different task from being good at something else in life, and not too many excel at it. This guy’s terminal arrogance will deal to him in the end. Starting and registering a new party is no easy task either.

    I see another loser–Matt King is starting a party too.

  12. Sanctuary 12
    19 October 2022 at 11:25 am

    "…There is one serious defect with Sharma’s claim and I can’t believe that the media have not reported on it yet…"

    Probably because the dire political pundits of the press gallery are too busy interviewing their keyboards about the mood of an electorate none them could readily find on a map let alone having ever actually visited, and thence opining on the upcoming horse race, to have the time to actually read the actual legislation.

  13. James Simpson 13
    19 October 2022 at 11:57 am

    I would be very surprised if Labour wins the seat.

    Really?

    Sharma was an unknown before he started throwing grenades around. He won Hamilton West because of Labour, not because of anything he did before the last election. The people of the Tron voted for the Labour candidate, not the fake doctor.

    Labour holds a 6,267 majority. National won't be able to overcome that substantial lead in what has only been 2 years since the election.

    • Belladonna 13.1
      19 October 2022 at 1:13 pm

      TLDR. Labour is highly unlikely to hold Hamilton West.

      It's much more likely that the electoral results will parallel the situation in 2017, than in 2020.

      Sharma did indeed win Hamilton West because (and almost entirely because) of the overwhelming support for Ardern at the 2020 election [he's delusional if he believes that there is any significant level of personal support – he's no Anderton]

      That level of electoral advantage is unprecedented (certainly post MMP, and I'd argue before as well) – and we are unlikely to see it in 2023 – and certainly not at a bye-election – which almost always punishes the party in power.

      Looking at Hamilton West election results since 2000.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_West_(New_Zealand_electorate)#2020_election

      This has been a relatively safe National seat since 2008 (when Tim Macindoe took it off Martin Gallagher). National have held it with a margin of around 6,000 since – until the 2020 reverse – when Sharma/Labour took roughly 4K from National, and 2K each from NZF & Greens (Neither stood an electoral candidate in 2020 – so seems highly likely that their individual vote from 2017 went to Sharma)

      Giving the dropping polls for Labour this year (putting them slightly below the National vote), and that bye-elections typically punish the government – it seems very highly unlikely that Labour will will Hamilton West in 2022 (if the bye is held this year) or early 2023 (if it's held then).

      Much more likely that the situation will revert to the pre-2020 result of a a fairly safe National majority.

      Dependent, however, on who National choose to stand…..

      • Incognito 13.1.1
        19 October 2022 at 1:26 pm

        The Hamilton West electorate is highly likely to want to punish this Government.

        It is also quite possible that it wants to punish its rebel MP who’s gone off the reserve.

        In my mind, it is a shoo-in for just about any National Party candidate; they could even field Aaron Gilmore and he’ll cruise to an easy win.

        • James Simpson 13.1.1.1
          19 October 2022 at 1:59 pm

          That's a big swing against a government that is doing most things well. I don't know why Ham West would punish the government (other than for selecting an idiot in the first place).

          Hamilton is a city that is booming under this government. There is large scale development in the CBD, with massive development projects at Te Awa Lakes, and Peacockes. Its a good new story where ever you look in that town.

          Other than Sharma why would Hamilton West be looking to punish the government?

      • DS 13.1.2
        19 October 2022 at 2:58 pm

        FFS.

        Hamilton West is pure bellwether. It votes as the country votes (though I would note 2017 saw Sharma getting dragged in as a last-minute candidate, because of issues with Sue Moroney).

        National won it 2008-2017 because it won the nationwide vote four times in a row, generally very comfortably.

        • Ghostwhowalksnz 13.1.2.1
          20 October 2022 at 3:02 pm

          Boundary changes have to be factored in. It used be both seats were divided by the River but now West includes a bit of East in the northern area .

          Normally you might have included Hamilton East- Hillcrest ( includes student areas?) just across from the CBD as a community of interest , but the gerry mandering effect which favours National means the wealthier riverside suburbs like Woodridge ( where there isnt even a bridge to the West ) are chosen instead

    • X Socialist 13.2
      19 October 2022 at 1:17 pm

      ''Labour holds a 6,267 majority. National won't be able to overcome that substantial lead in what has only been 2 years since the election.''

      The problem is much has changed during the past two years. Opinion polls for starters. More people now hate Labour, not dislike them. Those who voted Labour for a second time around based solely on Jacinda Ardern's Covid response won't be doing similar again.

      Now, if you are right, National has a problem. It'll remind them they won't be sleep walking to victory. But if they win Hamilton, all National need do is keep their noses clean and go straight to the celebrations on election night. Keeping their noses clean will be the issue given Nationals propensity to shoot themselves in the foot.

    • alwyn 13.3
      19 October 2022 at 4:38 pm

      "not the fake doctor.".

      What on earth are you talking about? Are you seriously claiming he is not a medical practitioner? He may not be currently practising but a statement like yours must be very close to defamatory surely?

    • Jimmy 13.4
      19 October 2022 at 4:46 pm

      I think he's a real medical doctor. I think the more "fake doctors" are like Dr David Clark.

  14. Bearded Git 14
    19 October 2022 at 12:36 pm

    This is not necessarily bad for the Left.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_New_Zealand_general_election

    Under current polling (above) Lab/Gr/MP at 46% are roughly level with Nat/Act at 47.5%. This means that Hamilton West, which leans to the Nats (but Labour won in its 2020 landslide) will almost certainly return to the Nats. The "protest vote" nature of by-elections will accentuate this.

    However Labour and the Greens (and the MP) will be able to use it as a test run for the election, seeing which policies fly and which are hated. And National will probably reveal their general election campaign tactics which will be useful.

    • Peter 14.1
      19 October 2022 at 1:35 pm

      What flys? Three Waters, co-governence, inflation, ram raids, poverty.

      There you go, National candidate in a landside.

      • Bearded Git 14.1.1
        19 October 2022 at 2:05 pm

        On one side: tax cuts for the rich, tax cuts for landlords, sell off public housing, no workable climate change policies.

        On the other side: falling crime statistics, falling poverty statistics, inflation less than USA, UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, Singapore, increased public housing, workable climate change policies.

        There you go: Hamilton votes Labour…or Green

        https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/inflation-rate

      • Jimmy 14.1.2
        19 October 2022 at 2:06 pm

        You forgot to mention the hospitals/health, Kiwibuild (is it still a thing?)/ housing, poverty?

        • Incognito 14.1.2.1
          19 October 2022 at 2:28 pm

          And a plethora of potholes, all throughout the country; we have a few in our driveway and it puts mud on my brand new EV.

          • Jimmy 14.1.2.1.1
            19 October 2022 at 2:46 pm

            Unfortunately I cannot afford a Tesla. What are they like to drive?

            • Incognito 14.1.2.1.1.1
              19 October 2022 at 2:57 pm

              Their APS is shite sad

              I’ve been told 😉

              You’ll never be able to afford a Tesla, if that’s your dream, when your mortgage is on floating interest!

          • Anne 14.1.2.1.2
            19 October 2022 at 3:33 pm

            Yep. I have an open culvert half way down my driveway which the rain-water is supposed to run into but its been so effing wet this winter its full of mud which means I have to hose down the car tyres before it goes into the garage. I'm so pissed off I'm not voting Labour next year. crying

            That's about the the level of irrationality these days. It has become an epidemic of "blame it on the government" even when it has nothing to with the government.

            I’m waiting for the day when some tabloid journo implies the government is to blame for Climate Change.

            • Incognito 14.1.2.1.2.1
              19 October 2022 at 3:54 pm

              LOL

              To be clear, I don’t drive an EV, but the potholes in the driveway are for real (no mud though).

              • Mac1 …
                19 October 2022 at 7:22 pm

                I have an EV and no pot-holes in the drive, sorry.

                I've also got a MP who finds shallow potholes on a town pedestrian crossing and blames the government. He doesn't have an EV, either.

                Or a clue…..

    • Obtrectator 14.2
      19 October 2022 at 4:59 pm

      "And National will probably reveal their general election campaign tactics which will be useful."

      I very much doubt they'll need to. Smile and wave will be enough in that seat, this time round.

  15. Nic the NZer 15
    19 October 2022 at 12:58 pm

    It took some thinking, but I have now made sense of going to the electorate for a position you already hold.

    There is a really dodgy practice where HR gets rid of some employees by getting them to re-apply for their job.

    Anyway we know Dr Sharma knows quite a number of really dodgy things he expects PS to be doing HR wise with his staff. He explained in detail on Facebook his own practice expectations regarding HR.

    So hes just ensuring his own employers (the electorate) are engaging in HR practice as he expects it to work.

    • observer 16.1
      19 October 2022 at 10:07 pm

      And if anyone is still in any doubt about this plucky little guy bravely standing up for the underdogs …

      Sharma's sugar daddy spells it out

      “I will support him financially, 100 percent. Wholeheartedly… [it] doesn’t matter the money, whatever he needs”