National Party leader Christopher Luxon says the door is open for under-fire MP Barbara Kuriger in the future.
Kuriger resigned from her portfolios of Agriculture, Biosecurity and Food Safety last Friday after a "significant conflict of interest".
The Taranaki-King Country MP's family is locked in a dispute with the Ministry for Primary Industries after her son was convicted on animal cruelty charges in 2020. An independent review is currently underway into the family's dispute and the ministry's handling of it.
On Breakfast this morning, Luxon was asked about Kuriger's future with the party.
"Barbara's got a lot to offer and she comes with a lot of experience, and we're going to leave the door open for her into the future," he said. "But for now, it's entirely appropriate that she steps down from those responsibilities given that conflict."
As well as Kuriger, Luxon was asked about former Labour MP Gaurav Sharma, whose resignation yesterday from Parliament after a months-long saga will trigger a by-election in Hamilton West.
"The fact we're going to a by-election that will be expensive for the taxpayer, that's ultimately a decision for how the Labour Party and the prime minister has or hasn't handled this particular case within their own caucus," Luxon said.
"I'm very proud of the way that we've responded to our case. We've identified a conflict of interest, it wasn't recognised, it wasn't managed, it was a lapse of judgement, and we moved very decisively and very quickly to deal with it.
"We expect all members of Parliament to think about disclosures from their past but also to think about conflicts of interest, perceived or real. It's just really important that we hold to high standards."
Kuriger was at Parliament for the first time since the announcement yesterday, but only read out a statement and would not take questions from media.
The independent review into her family's dispute was commissioned by MPI in consultation with the Ombudsman and Crown Law.
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