Any sympathy MP Gaurav Sharma may once have had in his run-in with the Labour Party, will now be well and truly shredded.
Given what we now know of him, what’s astonishing is that he lasted as long as he has before the Party booted him out.
The PM covered the situation accurately, expressing her disappointment on behalf of taxpayers. “This election has been triggered by the fact that the independent member for Hamilton West has decided to resign in order to run as an independent member for Hamilton West; a complete waste of taxpayer money.”
Sharma has now been exposed as a dim, attention-seeking ratbag with no regard for the public purse. If there’s a plus side to this, it’s the humiliation of a sweeping defeat the voters will deliver to him, reflecting the wider public contempt.
12 Comments
Any PM reflections should be taken very lightly…they carry about as much weight as her parties delivery record.
The PM hasn’t been concerned about all the other taxpayers’ money her government has wasted, and is still wasting, nor was she worried that there would be a by-election if Paul Eagle had won the Wellington mayoralty.
I suspect he knows full well that he’ll get a thrashing, but is standing to slightly split the left vote, making sure of a National victory. Best way to send a strong message to the government.
Maybe he really wants to see Labour defeated in the Tron
Sorry Bob. I disagree with you on this one. Sharma has exposed the dysfunctional and bullying Labour party. The by election cost is minimal compared to the hundreds of millions of tax payer Labour/Greens have wasted
“a sweeping defeat”…
I wouldn’t be too sure about that Sir Bob. Defeat yes but sweeping?
On the other hand, were you comfortable with a potential for a by-election created by Paul Eagle?
In the grand scale of absurd expenditure by the current numpties, the cost of a by-election doesn’t even rate as “chump change” and I think quite a few in Hamilton West will want to send ardern a message by either reinstating Sharma, a faint hope, or an overwhelming support for an alternative to labour. In my opinion 😎
I think you have misread the situation on this issue Bob. Read the comments made most of which I agree with. He is most likely standing to strategically assist in ruining Lbour’s chances.
As a Tron person, I think Sharma will do better than you think in Hamilton., The mood is changing in the respect people are sick of the current MMP system – 60 list MPs that do not represent their communities. That pass laws that we do not want, i.e. 3 waters, we will wait and see if the tide turns which I hope it does.
Sharma has done everyone a favour and given us all a chance to watch a pre-election humiliation of the Labour party in the Hamilton West by-election. It’s worth every cent.
I think also that Sharma has done a great favour to most NZers – a mechanism of accountability is at hand, showing the leader’s support is shallow, and can erode at a moment’s notice, or hopefully, implode.
Did our esteemed PM not win her seat in a by-election held because another labour party hack didnt want to hang around until the next election?
I dont think Sharma is cut out to be in politics. He has been entertaining but his communications are quite rambling.
I would normally agree that it would be a waste of money but the chance to see Labour given a full on trousers down six of the best thrashing is worth every cent.