Rogue Labour MP Gaurav Sharma has broken his silence after being suspended from Labour's caucus on Tuesday - accusing the Prime Minister and her office of a "cover-up".
In an echo of the Jami-Lee Ross scandal, Sharma recorded a private phone conversation with another MP, who did not know they were being recorded.
Sharma then leaked that tape to the media, attempting to prove his point. The Prime Minister's Office says the recording misrepresents a conversation with a colleague.
"What is the Prime Minister trying to hide," he asked Newshub during an interview today, when he alleged he was suspended from her party in a "kangaroo court" process.
Sharma was suspended from Labour's caucus on Tuesday after breaking caucus confidence in a series of Facebook posts. He alleges a rampant culture of bullying in the party, which the party denies. He wants a public inquiry into his claims.
Sharma delivered Newshub a secret recording of another MP briefing him about Labour's secret meeting in which MPs met to discuss Sharma's fate.
This meeting was held on Monday night, ahead of the formal caucus meeting on Tuesday at which Sharma was suspended.
Sharma claims the recording disproves Labour leader Jacinda Ardern's claim that Tuesday's expulsion was not decided at the secret meeting the night before.
"You have my assurance and word here it would not have been keeping within the rules to make any predetermination and we were very clear that we wouldn't and we didn't," Ardern said on Tuesday.
Sharma alleges that was not true. Sharma's recording, which was revoiced by Newshub to protect the caller's identity said the suspension was "all predetermined".
"This is purely to get them where they want to be, which is for caucus to be aware that a decision will be made and that it will be it is gonna be to whack you [sic]," the recording said.
Sharma said the decision was a "kangaroo court and a banana republic. I could show up and the decision was made the night before".
Sharma did not attend the meeting at which he was suspended.
Sharma is currently suspended, but Labour can choose to expel him from caucus and the party should they choose to.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday night suggested this was likely.
"On Tuesday the Caucus suspended Gaurav on the basis of repeated breaches of trust. This latest example of releasing and misrepresenting conversations with his colleague's reinforces that decision and will be discussed by caucus.
"As the Prime Minister said on Tuesday we anticipated Gaurav would continue to re-litigating matters in this way.
"He has still not responded to our communications about entering into mediation, instead using the media to make his point," said a spokesperson for the Prime Minister.
Sharma said the Prime Minister's office was trying to cover up something.
"This is the Prime Minister's office trying to cover something, this is the Prime Minister trying to cover something, and I am saying this isn't just about bullying there's a lot more here," Sharma said.
He said new Labour MPs were recently coached on how to keep information out of the public domain - including how to avoid having communications picked up by the Official Information Act.
Sharma alleges bullying in Labour. Labour and Parliamentary Service say Sharma was being managed after difficulties with staff. One former staffer has accused Sharma of bullying.
Sharma claims to have hundreds of pages of documents proving his claims. He is yet to release them.
