New Sharma Drama now in by-election Nirvana

By
Martyn Bradbury
-
97
2423

You have to admit, he knows how to cause a drama…

Former Labour Party MP Gaurav Sharma quits Parliament

Hamilton West MP Gaurav Sharma has resigned after the Labour Party’s governing body recommended he be expelled from the party as a member.

…this is devastatingly clever.

If a by-election is caused 6 months before the general election, the Parliament can wait and not trigger a by-election, but outside that 6 months, you have to.

He’s waited and timed this perfectly for maximum damage.

He is starting new ‘centrist party’ and will run as a candidate for that Party in the by-election.

If National don’t stand and give tacit support for Sharma, and he wins, then they have a new support partner to call on come Election Day.

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Punters will rush to write him off, but I think that is unwise.

When Sharma speaks about his grievances, those other ethnic minority communities in his electorate hear a familiar narrative in their lived experiences of racism in its multi-faceted engagements and that narrative is compelling to those voters.

That and this is the first time anyone (including in Hamilton) even knew there was a Hamilton West electorate, that kind of tingly excitement at being the centre of attention makes voters feel special and can generate upsets.

It is a perfectly feasible and possible outcome that Sharma rides his political martyrdom all the way through as an independent and wins the seat.

Sharma is a political wound that will only become more infected, in normal political times, he would be swept away by the usual tides of democracy, but in these extreme and stressed out times, the self cleansing systems of democratic engagement have broken down and political malaise has set in.

Sharma’s rise is evidence of the entropy democracy faces, not the toxic masculinity culture of the Patriarchy and bullying trigger thresholds.

He is being advised by professional political mercenaries, and this is a master stoke in political chess.

Labour can not take a win in Hamilton West for granted and neither can National.

 

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97 COMMENTS

  1. If National contest they win. This is a traditionally safe Hamilton seat. Labour and Sharma lucked in with the Covidslide.

    The problem is that this will demonstrate is just how unpopular the PM and the government is at the moment. Particularly if the Labour candidate runs a distant third in the by-election. Nothing to win, everything to lose for Ardern. Coupled with the inflation number and the Shakespeare woke shitfest this has been a rotten day for team left.

    • Exactly my thinking.

      I would suggest Ardern “beware the Ides of March” but apparently, we cannot reference that anymore LOL

    • Frank the Tank. But in Nat terms, one Indian politician equates to half a Chinese and that could tease out mathematically problematic when the ethnicity of their own candidate is factored in.

      • Doesn’t matter.

        The majority of people in that electorate are white middle class suburban/border rural voters. McIndoe was a reasonable local MP. He chooses to contest again he wins.

        What you fail to acknowledge also is the propensity of people of Indian decent to run small businesses. I’m sure they will remember which party is responsible for lawlessness and ram raids when rocking up to the ballot box.

        Labour will struggle to get up for second in this race.

      • True JohnO, bullying the government with this move, seems to be in his DNA.
        Doesn’t care of the money wasted, I am left leaning, I don’t particularly care for this lone wolf and more than happy for National to take Hamilton West to rid us of Sharma once and for good.

        • So you were happy for Paul Eagle to force a by-election but not the good doctor? In the scheme of things it is piss all money and you might be angry if the money would have spent wisely but we all know it wouldn’t with your mob in control.

          • No Frankie I wasn’t. But you were happy when your mob wasted 28+ million on a fucking flag referendum Frankie. And ” your mob” wasted money and let hospital infrastructure crash, so Frankie, your naivety to attack without looking in the mirror shines through.
            And your “it’s piss all money” comment shows a very sorry appreciation for money when many are doing it tough.

            • Yet millions for unoccupied offices in Auckland’s viaduct for the cycle bridge is good use of money?

              You are trying to piss into a hurricane by arguing a waste of money with regards to this issue.

              • The country lives outside Auckland, you need a better argument than that Frankie. At least National saved money on by repressing wages, leaving hospitals and schools to rot, threw 30 plus children into one class, hardly surprising the kids without the education ram raid now.

            • Come on Bert, I wouldn’t go down the who wasted money rabbit hole.

              If Labour ran the flag referendum it would have cost the tax payer a few hundred million to Mahutas Whanau.

              • If National were competent and not corrupt and didn’t waste money, I’ll just leave that little pearl with you. As for Mahuta, I’ll give you Mary English, alas you did go down the rabbit hole didn’t you.

    • Nastiness why Bertie? His decision might be a number of things but nasty how? Unless of course you are the PM and a narssacist I can’t understand how this decision is nasty.

      • Ask Sharmas staff Frankie, so nasty Frankie, is minimum, narcissistic is a great way to describe him.
        Unless of course you promote bullying Frankie, after all he is where he is at now because his staff claimed bullying, are they all wrong?

        • I don’t know who is telling the truth on the bullying accusations Bertie. Let’s have an independent investigation into the claims and counter claims.

          Wait, what the Labour Party and the PM don’t want that – the question is why?

          • An investigation Frankie?
            Yes yes please, let Sharma investigate till the cows come home. If he has a case, its an.employment issue, bring in the employment lawyers.

            Wait, what, he doesn’t want that he wants you to pay for it Frankie, the question is why doesn’t he take a personal case.

            Labour looked into his claims and found no bullying, but it’s blood you want Frankie, you are predictable as night follows day.

    • He’s not a politician. He should go back to the safety of a medical career, taking patient’s temperatures and prescribing antibiotics.

  3. Labour are long odds for this bookie. Jacinda’s approval rating is barely above 30% plus this was a Nat seat anyway. And people are pissed with her government!

    In no particular order the backlash will be because of:

    Cost of Living
    Crime
    Health
    Housing.

    Sharma might win if things get weird but I wouldn’t bet the neighbours goldfish on him come the general election.

    • You forgot 3 Waters and Climate Farming Levy. Hamilton has a lot of people retired from or still working within the farming industry. Its our most conservative large rural city.

      • Hamilton West is quite blue collar, I know I live here. I understand it was always quite a bell weather electorate.

      • XRAY and FT let the fun begin it could be the beginning of the end for this current Labour Government . There will be plenty of their MPs that know they are there on Jacinda’s coattails and will need a new CV after next election as the gloss wears off .

        • You should have warned National at the last election Trevor, oh well, how, sad, never mind. Where did all those MP’s end up, the private sector? Even under Keys corrupt coattails they’ve disappeared into oblivion. Oh, your wonderful Paula Bennett went to T.V., real estate and the N.Z. Herald, you should be proud of that embarrassment.
          When Nact win the next election, which they will given the right wing media are doing their job, they will complete the destruction of N.Z.s democracy. Keep your U.K. passport updated, you’re going to need it.
          Just watching them debating the fair pay agreement. National and ACT state they will repeal it. Right there, that shows they aren’t interested in fair pay for the tens of thousands of kiwis. What’s worse is that Jim Bolger instigated the support for it. Hell, even an ex right wing P.M. supports a fair pay agreement. That just shows so how far out of touch your love affair of the right is Trevor.
          You once debated with your head, it’s sad you’ve gone so far down the rabbit hole with your rhetoric.

          • bert, Labour named it, so I doubt something they called fair pay has anything to do with fair pay.

          • I have always respected your view and opinions and you are entitled to see thinks from the left but where is the balance .I feel that your arguements are based on the opinion that when National are in power the mistakes are Nationals to own but when thinks go wrong under Labour kit is only wrong because National left them a bad hand . Oviously Labour have had some wins but I can see many areas where their moves are plainly bad in my opinion. Many are pointed out by M B but when he does few argue he is wrong but many agree with any praise.
            National bad Labour good is not true neither is the reverse and we will be a poorer nation if that is the driving force behind decisions we make

            • The balance has always been that of the type of posts you now adhere too, Labour bad, National good is a common theme here as you say. When Martyn points out Labours good policies many argue against him, make stupid comments(Bob the first) and when he points out the mistakes the same people agree with him.
              And there is clear evidence there is a right wing media driven campaign to put Labour under the spotlight for their mistakes. The same “wins” as you mentioned are never reported. Audrey Young for example in todays NZ Herald as an example, which is aligned with Newstalk ZB and that is a clear right wing platform.
              So if you want balance, I will attempt to balance the ongoing right wing media assault on the left. It’s that simple. But again, I reiterate, debate with your head and let your opinion reflect that, don’t parrot Labour/Jacinda bad unless you have clear evidence otherwise, not one person can provide that on the Sharma drama, as of right now all we have is he said, they said.

          • Bert, it’s far worse than you state. Natz are constitutionally unfit to handle the shit that’s going to hit the world during the next NZ parliamentary term. Hell, Labour will struggle, but the Natz will be a disaster!
            We desperately need a left of centre government to bring a little social justice to our society when climate change takes us collectively by the neck and shakes us!

            • National are left of center Veitchy – you just made your argument moot!

              In all seriousness Peters (if he is alive by then) needs to form part of the next government. Neither side are much equipped to deal with a sustained and deep recession because none of the populace under the age of 40 sure are.

              It will be worse for Labour as you are all starting to understand how poor a financial manager Robertson and his minders really are.

              • Actually Frankie, National are completely inept at financial management, Goldsmith,Bailey and now Willis following on from Joyce all had try outs and wel they were/ are simply fucking hopeless and all they’ve got is tax cuts. So National, so 1980s.
                You want worse, VOTE NATIONAL!

                • LOL. They are nothing on the Beavis and Butthead of Finance – Orr and Robertson.

                  If McPhail and Gadsby were around Ii’m sure they would have a long-running skit on those two.

                  • Lol! Given your comments Frankie, you should be the last person speaking on financial intellect, well maybe second to last, Bob the first has last spot. Dumb and Dumber.

  4. As sick to the back teeth as I am of ‘game politics’ now is the time where a political party worth its salt would be negotiating (in private) to come up with a deal with Sharma. Some kind of win-win solution where both sides can save face.

    Or it can continue with the original, extended, Labour hissy-fit.

    Sharma was most probably seriously bullied -that’s where every attempt to resolve the situation brings more kicks in the teeth.

    Not giving in to bullying was always the ditch he was prepared to die in.

    So political game playing; (yuk, but anyway…) solve it and let him walk away with some dignity, or keep up the royal-court arrogance and reap the results.

      • As I said, no matter what you think happened and what you think of Sharma, this is a political mess.
        I was suggesting that maturity is required and actively seeking a win-win solution where both sides can save some face.

        In order to further the stated political goals of the party.

        • It isn’t about what people think. The fact is Bert is correct, Sharma bullied his staff and he was put under management and restricted from hiring anymore staff until he stopped his bullying behaviour, which he refused to do. Sharma is the bully.

        • Yes let’s have the same people who exonerated Uffindell, good old fashioned National party independent enquiry Frankie, bahahahaha!
          You get funnier by the day.
          If Sharma wants an enquiry, there are ways to do it, why isn’t he?

        • An independent inquiry into what? Sharma bullied his staff and measures were taken to stop his bad behaviour towards his staff is not in dispute. PS did an investigation and Sharma’s allegations didn’t stack up. The ombudsman looked into his claims and said they didn’t stack up.

  7. Genuinely hilarious. I’ve got my popcorn ready to go on this one too.

    Just shows that someone of decent intellect can run rings around the pseudo elites that head our Govt.

    I think National will turn their back on him and it may come back to bite them but it’s anyone’s guess. I havent lived in Hamilton for 20 years but traditionally, Hamilton West was the more Labour leaning end of town so I dont know if I’d say it was a guaranteed safe seat for the Nats especially compared with Hamilton East which was blue for generations.

  8. He is a tosser. Parliament and Parliamentary Services are so hard on the poor man he is trying to get back in again?

  9. Yes, 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.

    But, most parties have faced some pretty 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 but, if as others say he has some operators with him, he may achieve that in time.

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

  10. Can’t believe you left it up to Newshub to come up with the term “Sharmageddon”! Sharma-chameleon was pretty good tho.

  12. The “usual tides of democracy” are “vote for a neolib lol”, breaking that seems quite democratically engaged to me.

    Plus Winnie’s up in the polls, so the public must be ready for some drama.

    And we won’t get democracy anyway, not with electorates still being FPP.

  14. ” He is starting new ‘centrist party’ and will run as a candidate for that Party in the by-election ”

    Another ” fringe party to add to the ever-growing list.

  18. What a self-indulgent little prick. Happy to waste taxpayers money on a needless by-election, just to get back at his former boss.

    • And Hooten will be running his campaign.
      Dirty politics at work again.

  19. If Paul Eagle won the Wellington Mayor race there would have been a bye election in his electorate, but that’s a sure fire Labour seat so all was acceptable!?
    But Labour will likely lose this bye election and suddenly a bye election is a waste of money….lol
    Labour haven’t worried about wasting money in last 5yrs!

  21. I will be most interested in how different media outlets cover this by-election, driven by their differing views towards the Labour Party.

    I suspect Stuff and RNZ will barely mention it.

  22. Sharma doing a grand job exposing the bully culture of the Labour Government.
    I say good luck to him.

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