16 February 2025

Gaurav Sharma finally parts way with Labour, resigns as MP

The Hamilton West MP Dr Gaurav Sharma has resigned as an MP from Parliament. He announced his resignation around 3pm this afternoon.

His resignation has triggered a by-election for the Hamilton West seat, so close to the General Election in 2023.

In August this year, the Labour Caucus had voted to expel Gaurav Sharma from caucus but he had continued as an independent MP.

Faced with the looming fear of “Party plan to invoke Waka Jumping rule 6 months before the next General Election to remove me from Parliament which will ensure there is no need for a by-election,” he resigned. This “has not been an easy decision,” says Sharma in a statement.

Dr Gaurav Sharma
Gaurav Sharma has resigned as MP

“A Labour Party panel last week recommended to the party’s governing body (the New Zealand Council) that I be expelled from the I will be running as a candidate in the by-election because I do want to send a message to the government that you can’t silence the voice of the common man – you have tried to shut me up at every avenue but I will continue to fight and stand up – for myself, for my constituents and for people of this country,” says Sharma.

Defending his decision to resign, Sharma says, “This will unfortunately trigger a by-election but it means that instead of being without an MP for 6 months as Labour wants, the people of Hamilton will be able to elect an MP to continue to represent them.”

“But given the current state of affairs, Labour and the PM were going to wait until the next year to invoke this rule 6 months before the General Election so that a by-election does not have to take place in Hamilton West. This is another way of silencing me but also stifling democracy by taking away the voice of people of Hamilton West.”

Gaurav Sharma is not quitting politics, but is planning to contest by-election and get re-elected. he also has plans to launch a new party.

“I will be running as a candidate in the by-election because I do want to send a message to the government that you can’t silence the voice of the common man – you have tried to shut me up at every avenue but I will continue to fight and stand up – for myself, for my constituents and for people of this country.

“…my intention is to launch a new centrist party with focus on outcomes and action rather than on ideologies”.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is reported to have urged him to reconsider his resignation, saying a by-election would waste taxpayer funds.

“He is unnecessarily costing the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of dollars to trigger a by-election he then intends to stand in. We consider it unnecessary and wasteful given a General Election is scheduled for 2023.”

Gaurav Sharma, however, says he will not reconsider his decision to resign and “I am not a person who is going to be silenced.”

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