A report into allegations against Sam Uffindell has exonerated the new Tauranga MP - and he has been reinstated to the National Party caucus.
An independent report by Maria Dew KC has found that allegations against Uffindell about his behaviour as a university student towards a female flatmate in Dunedin were not as reported in the media - there were differing accounts and the allegations could not be substantiated.
The independent inquiry was ordered after the woman had spoken to RNZ, following Uffindell's own, earlier admission that he had been a bully at Kings College in Auckland.
Uffindell had told the National Party selection panel of his behaviour at King College before they selected him to be National's Tauranga candidate - although party leader Christopher Luxon was not advised.
Dew's investigation did not substantiate any allegations of bullying outside of Uffindell's time at King's College, the National Party said today.
Luxon had asked Dew to look into allegations about Uffindell's behaviour at university and any further incidents that were brought to her attention.
National Party president Sylvia Wood said the Dew investigation would not be released but the inquiry had taken place between August 15 and September 15. Fourteen people were interviewed in the investigation and there were written statements.
In a statement today, Luxon summarised Dew's findings:
- He said the "thorough investigation did not substantiate any allegations of bullying outside Mr Uffindell's time at King's College";
- Regarding the alleged Otago University flat incident, there are differing accounts of what occurred and Ms Dew concluded the event was not as it was described in the media. Despite this conclusion, it is clear that the complainant's experience in a deteriorating flat relationship caused her harm";
- "Aside from his time at King's College, and interactions with his flatmate at university, no one else came forward who considered themselves a victim of Mr Uffindell's behaviour".
"The investigation has found there are differing accounts of an incident that happened 20 years ago in the context of a student flat that was breaking up," said Luxon. "Mr Uffindell has acknowledged that things were said that he now realises his flatmate overheard, which he regrets.
"Mr Uffindell has also publicly acknowledged that he was a bully at King's College and that this behaviour harmed a number of people, for which he has apologised.
"With the known matters having now been independently considered, and with Mr Uffindell's own acknowledgement that he is a different person now to the person he once was, we are now able to move forward."
The National Party caucus decided this morning to reinstate Uffindell. Luxon said he believed in second chances and forgiveness. "Mr Uffindell is looking forward to working hard for the people of Tauranga. I am confident he can and will do that."
Nobody else came forward who considered themselves a victim of Uffindell's behaviour, but Luxon said he wanted to acknowledge people had been hurt.
Asked about the pre-selection process for the Tauranga candidacy, Wood said that was confidential. She said the party has since looked at its disclosure process and decided Uffindell's bullying at King's should have been made public.
Wood said she was aware of Uffindell's disclosure but did not pass that on to Luxon. She now believed this was a mistake.
Uffindell, meanwhile, said he welcomed the findings.
Uffindell said he had not spoken to the woman since their flat fallout in 2003.
Asked if he was happy to have a bully in the party, Luxon said he did not believe they had one.
Uffindell said he did have a stomach for politics though the past few weeks had been "challenging".
Asked about how confident he was to be re-elected next year, Uffindell said he had to "work really hard". He said he was dedicated to the people of Tauranga to secure their loyalty.
Uffindell had been away from Parliament since he was stood down from caucus on August 9 after details surfaced of allegations of bullying and intimidatory behaviour in his youth.
Over the weekend, Uffindell was at a Women's Expo in Tauranga - National's central North Island regional chair Andrew von Dadelszen posted a photo of Uffindell holding a National Party rosette.
Asked about that today, Uffindell said it was a "silly thing to do".
In response to a commenter, von Dadelszen said "Sam is in excellent heart… itching to get back to work, supporting Tauranga in Wellington."
Background to the inquiry
Luxon had initially stood by Uffindell after revelations in early August that Uffindell had been asked to leave Auckland boarding school King's College for physically beating a Year 9 (third form) student while Uffindell was Year 11 (fifth form) in 1999.
However, he ordered the report and stood Uffindell down after the further allegation to RNZ by one of Uffindell's former university flatmates, including that he had once banged on her door and shouted at her - and she had fled through her window, and then moved out of the flat.
Uffindell had rejected that allegation, but admitted he had been a bully at school.
He claimed he was now a different person.
Uffindell had disclosed the incident at King's College during the selection process for the Tauranga byelection.
However, that information was not passed on by the selection panel to either Luxon or the delegates voting in the selection.
It later emerged that MP Todd McClay, who chaired National's byelection campaign, had advised one of Luxon's staff, but the staffer did not tell Luxon.
Luxon has previously said that he should have been told about it and that the party's delegates and the public should also have been told.
National Party president Sylvia Wood has previously said the selection process was run in accordance with the party's rules, but admitted it was now clear the process needed to be improved.
The party overhauled its selection processes after 2020 following a bruising election defeat, and MPs leaving under a cloud of scandal during the previous two terms.
