Candidate describes harassment
AUCKLAND: A National Party candidate has spoken about a campaign of harassment by rogue MP JamiLee Ross which became so severe she sought medical help and intervention by the party hierarchy.
Manurewa candidate Katrina Bungard said yesterday Mr Ross had harassed her in 2016 and 2017.
She said Mr Ross began the campaign to get his wife Lucy Schwaner appointed as chairwoman of the Howick Community Board in east Auckland.
Mr Ross, Botany MP, has denied harassing women — an accusation levelled against him by an aggrieved National Party leadership reeling from accusations of corruption and revelations of secret recordings.
A dripfeed of daily shocks continued yesterday with allegations of Mr Ross harassing women and having relationships outside his marriage.
Mr Ross also released text messages about donations over which he had made a complaint to police.
He refused to comment on allegations about his personal life.
‘‘I am considering my legal options,’’ he said.
Ms Bungard, a teacher, said her experience of harassment by Mr Ross had led her to complain to National Party hierarchy.
‘‘He gets away with just behaving a certain way around people without anything being really solid.
‘‘They did what they could, which is talk to him. There wasn’t enough evidence of anything extreme.’’
However, she thought it was extreme.
She said the public had seen evidence this week of how Mr Ross presented to the National Party when complaints were made.
She said he appeared ‘‘cool, calm, collected’’ and ‘‘says everything is everyone else’s fault and not his’’.
‘‘He’s a very manipulative man.’’
Ms Bungard said the fight for the chairwoman’s role on the local board was a brutal campaign which did not stop, even after Mr Ross’ wife was defeated.
Mr Ross had wanted Ms Bungard — and others on the board — to support Ms Schwaner and he had enlisted political strategist Simon Lusk to assist.
‘‘[Mr Lusk] rang me and told me I could have a great career in politics, that he would get me this job and that job.
‘‘Then he said he can only do these things if you’re in a good place with JamiLee. If you fall out, I can’t do anything.’’
Mr Lusk did not respond to a request for comment.
Ms Bungard said the harassment had been ongoing for a few years.
‘‘It’s been a pretty hard time for me. I had to get medical help.
‘‘I was concerned for my own family. I had phone calls where he was ‘going to war’ with me and my family.’’
Ms Bungard said at one stage she was served a trespass order when she tried to attend a National Party morning tea for senior citizens.
She had arrived at the meeting in the electorate — for which she was electorate secretary at the time — to be presented with the trespass order.
She said she asked for the grounds and was told it was ‘‘because I had fallen out with JamiLee and he had been ordered to trespass me and I wasn’t welcome at any event JamiLee was hosting’’.
Ms Bungard complained to the National Party — the organisation, not the political wing — which resulted in president Peter Goodfellow stepping in.
‘‘They’ve called him in and he’s [Ross] got a serious talking to. He did back off after that.’’
Ms Bungard said she believed the party had done what it could but it was difficult when the harassment included constant lowlevel incidents for which there was no physical evidence.
Ms Bungard said deputy leader Paula Bennett had called her during the week — and again yesterday morning — to check on her and offer support.
‘‘Simon, Paula — none of them knew about this. Paula has been really supportive.’’
In a statement, Mr Goodfellow said: ‘‘Any issues that we were aware of that were raised, were dealt with at the time. We have nothing further to add at this time.’’
Board member Andrew Hunt, who was also part of the intervention, said he was unaware of the extent of Mr Ross’ behaviour, which has expanded to include bullying and harassment of a number of women, including two with whom he had affairs.
‘‘I’m horrified by what I have learned. If I knew then what I know now . . . I personally find it abhorrent. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.’’