August 22, 2022
Shama folly not to front up and fight
Former Labour Party MP John Tamihere says Hamilton East MP Gaurav Sharma may have made a tactical mistake by not turning up to last week’s caucus meeting to discuss his behaviour.
It’s expected Dr Sharma will be expelled when the caucus meets again tomorrow to discuss his continued accusations he was bullied by party whips.
The party says Dr Sharma refused to take advice over issues he was having with his staff.
Mr Tamihere says when the Labour caucus discussed his 2005 interview with Investigate magazine, he turned up anyway – and was made to wait outside for an hour and a half before he was able to put his defence.
He told Paakiwaha host Dale Husband he was censured and that was the end of the matter – but Dr Sharma’s current plight looks familiar.
“If you stand up for yourself they will treat you as erratic, as a maverick, as a rebel, not a team player, and then they will allege you have had a mental breakdown (laughs) and I’m not putting myself in the same category as Sharma because I had to fight a different fight but I’m saying that’s how the mob works,” he says.
Mr Tamihere says as one of 12 children from a tough neighbourhood he learned early how to stand up to bullying.