Andrew Dickens: How is the Sharma Drama still going this long?

I only work at Newstalk ZB one day a week so I've been spared having to talk about the Guarav Sharma drama. Or as we now know the Sharma Drama.

But my god it's still going.  

Over the weekend he revealed that Kieran McAnulty called him a terrible MP and that was bullying. Knowing how fruity Kieran's language can be, I think Gourav got off lightly. There's a reason Kieran's a whip. He's good with the old don't argue.

I've realised that the MP for Hamilton West really doesn't like being yelled at. Sharma's maiden speech in February 2021 alleges a paediatric surgeon bullied him while he was at university. It also contained many claims of bullying and racism while he was on the campaign trail. Sharma appears to feel he's been bullied his entire life.

It was the Prime Minister's turn this morning and she once again ruled out an investigation saying that there needs to be a threshold to instigate these things. Otherwise any time anyone called anyone a bully or a racist we'd have investigation after investigation.

We of course can't judge whether that threshold has been reached as all we have so far is the good Doctor's account because the PM is not open and transparent.

Anyway, this "he said she said" thing is terribly frustrating and has kept the issue in the headlines for nearly 2 weeks now.

So some say that the launching of an investigation would at least shelve the conversation.

They point to National hiring a QC to investigate Sam Uffindell which has silenced the debate.

That may be so but what will that investigation prove? Mr Uffindell has already admitted his misdemeanour. And secondly, Mr Luxon has already stated that the result of the investigation will not be publicly released.

If there is an investigation but no public result has there really been a result at all? The debate may have been silenced but not the practices and attitude that sparked the whole thing in the first place.

Just shows that National is just as good, possibly better, at hiding their dirty laundry as Labour.

And that was the way I felt throughout the whole Sharma drama.

None of it surprised me. Politicians have been playing games like this for years.

National was perfectly capable of fudging Official Information requests. Labour appears to have lifted the bar to a new high or should that be low point.

It's all brought our respect for politicians to such a depth.

It's why we have such polarised debate now. It's why our debate has fallen to name calling with words like liars and corruption thrown around willy-nilly.

And it makes me nostalgic for the days when the backbench would wage war on the front bench over policy issues and not office demeanour.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.