Scandals involving junior MPs Sam Uffindell and Gaurav Sharma have reignited the debate over Parliament's culture issues and National's candidate selection process, Q+A's political panellists say.
Lawyer and National Party member Liam Hehir told Q+A that no good options were left for leader Christopher Luxon after he suspended the newly-elected Uffindell from caucus.
"The National Party will not want to have another by-election - there are really no good options. At the end of the day, [Uffindell was] elected by the people of Tauranga to represent them. He's got another year to try and convince them of his good character," he said.
"You know, if he does a good job, I suppose he could overcome it. But I think the likelier option is that he sees out the rest of his term in penitence - on doing the best that he can, and in the end doesn't put his hand up for re-election."
On Monday, newly-elected Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell admitted to beating a 13-year-old boy as part of a group attack when he was in high school - after his victim spoke out to Stuff.
RNZ reported an allegation of aggressive bullying from Uffindell's time at Otago University on Wednesday. The Tauranga MP has denied engaging in "intimidatory or bullying" behaviour while at university.
READ MORE: New allegations against Uffindell 'serious and concerning' - Luxon
National has engaged QC Maria Dew to look into the accusations and to report back in the next two weeks.
The Tauranga MP lived in a student flat in 2004 with a coat hook featuring women's underwear as trophies. (Source: 1News)
Hehir opined that Uffindell's behaviour was emblematic of many of National's problematic junior MPs that had personal ambitions in their political careers.
"In all of these problematic MPs the National Party has had, it's always seemed that the personal ambition has outweighed that commitment to the common good. I don't know for sure, but it just feels to me like this is another one of those cases."
NZME's editorial director of business and Herald columnist Fran O'Sullivan said the other political scandal of the week pointed to ongoing culture issues within Parliament.
On Thursday, first-term Labour MP Gaurav Sharma launched a broadside against what he alleged was a bullying and gaslighting culture within Parliament - involving party whips.
Later on Friday, the rogue backbencher published a 2600-word Facebook post detailing more grievances and other allegations about his time in Parliament.
READ MORE: Labour MPs deny bullying culture after Gaurav Sharma claims
The Labour Party has repeatedly disputed and rejected the allegations levelled by Sharma. Meanwhile, on Friday, one anonymous ex-staffer made an allegation that there had been a bullying culture in the MPs office, according to the NZ Herald.
The Herald said Sharma did not address the accuracy of specific allegations when given a right of reply, but that "he had refused to extend the contract of one of his former staffers because he was unhappy with their work" and that complaints had been filed about the staffer with Parliamentary Services.
O'Sullivan said the Hamilton West MP's claims needed to taken seriously and "cleared up," adding that there were genuine wellbeing concerns for Sharma.
"He had talked about feeling depressed and suicidal [in his Facebook post], and so when the prime minister talked about how they were concerned for his wellbeing, I don't think it was entirely gaslighting because he himself had indicated that he had an issue," she said.
The Hamilton West MP wrote an opinion piece and posted his grievances on social media. (Source: 1News)
READ MORE: MP Sharma bullying claims need independent inquiry - commentator
"But that said, this is an endemic issue around Parliament. We've had an inquiry in the past, and we've had recommendations to sort out the culture of Parliament. So something needs to happen in my view."
Q+A host Jack Tame said it had been a "hell of a week" for parties in Parliament with its ongoing concurrent scandals.
O'Sullivan said the one political silver lining in the week's scandals would be held by ACT's David Seymour - who has thus far avoided any major scandals as a party leader in this term of Parliament.
"From the point of view of discipline, but also through staying on message and saying the things that National doesn't say… around various policies," she said. "David Seymour has melded and wielded together a formidable team".
The number of ACT voters surged in the 2020 general election - with the party increasing its number of MPs in the house from one to 10.
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