Jami-Lee Ross’ desperate four-word text to lover revealed
The contents of a text message which sparked National’s call to police regarding Jami-Lee Ross’ welfare has been revealed.
Ross is understood to have been sitting in his car mulling over a previous text exchange with his former lover, a National MP, before sending her a response stating: “You get your wish.”
It was these four words which raised the alarm.
The former lover alerted a senior member of Simon Bridges’ office, ultimately leading to Ross being found by police then taken to Middlemore Hospital’s mental health unit.
Blogger Cameron Slater has published some of the text messages in a bid to advance his claim the National Party is to blame for Ross’ condition.
The Herald on Sunday cannot confirm the text messages are genuine. The blogger did not respond to a request for comment.
The new text messages appeared to show the former lover acting with urgency at signs of distress. “Where are you?
“Are your family there to support you and if not, I will get you help,” she is purported as texting to Ross, MP for East Auckland’s Botany electorate. “Jami. Please take my call,” read the next message.
The messages are followed by more than 10 missed calls to Ross, who — according to Slater — had his phone turned off.
Earlier this week a spokeswoman from the office of National Party leader Simon Bridges said: “When concerns were raised they were dealt with appropriately.
“The National Party is confident that we have followed advice and made the right decisions on matters concerning Jami-Lee Ross.”
When asked last night about the text messages, a spokeswoman for the National Party said: “Out of respect for all of the people involved, including Jami-Lee Ross, we will not be commenting on this any further.”
Ross’ short period in residential mental health care came after he spent time away from Parliament for health reasons. While he was on leave, a report into who was the likely leaker of Bridges’ expenses identified Ross.
Bridges contacted Slater after Ross went into hospital to offer assurances the party and its members had done all they could for him.