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September 20, 2022
Bully MP not a law and order issue for National
Claudette Hauiti
Posted On September 20, 2022
Download AudioNational Party leader Christopher Luxon says he’s giving Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell a second chance – and rejected that might contradict his party’s current tough on youth crime rhetoric.
The redemption for the new MP came after an independent investigation by King’s Counsel Maria Dew failed to confirm allegations made by a former female flatmate when he was at the University of Otago.
Ms Dew did not look into his attack on a younger pupil at Kings College, which Mr Uffindell has admitted.
The party will not release Ms Dew’s report.
When asked what message it sent to Māori denied second under National’s hardline policies, Mr Luxon rejected a link.
“That’s not fair to make that distinction or to link those two issues. What I’m saying to you up front is there’s an independent, individual issue we’ve talked about around Sam’s history and behaviour and we’ve outlined a process about that. We can still be a party that talks strongly about law and order and crime in this country,” he says.
Sam Uffindell was welcomed back into the National caucus yesterday.
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