Nats can’t use law to kick me out, says Ross
Jami-Lee Ross is confident that the National Party will not be able to use the ‘‘waka jumping’’ law to kick him out of Parliament.
Ross, who returned to Parliament yesterday as an independent MP, told
he planned to vote with National on every single issue, while using his speaking slots in Parliament to represent his district and differentiate himself.
The former National MP left the party in a spectacular fashion last year, accusing leader Simon Bridges of electoral fraud and himself withstanding accusations of harassment. Ross was compulsorily admitted to Middlemore Hospital’s mental health unit.
Ross said he believed that voting with National on every vote would stop the party being able to use the ‘‘waka jumping’’ law – which allows party leaders to kick MPs elected under their party banner out of Parliament if they ‘‘distort the proportionality of Parliament’’.
Bridges himself has said it is unlikely the party will use the law, which it deeply opposes.
Ross said National had sought legal advice on this matter and had not been happy with the options.
‘‘The last time there was a waka jumping case, it took a year to get through the system.
‘‘It would land you with a byelection in early 2020. It’s my understanding that the National Party have sought legal advice and are concerned about the legal standing that they would have in that.’’
Ross said his expulsion from the party would become an issue for the party, as he was not afforded ‘‘natural justice’’ and this was required under the case law.
He declined to say whether he had sought his own legal advice, other than to say he had ‘‘assessed all my options’’.
Ross gave his proxy vote to NZ First while he was away from Parliament, instructing that it always be cast with the National Party. He said this position would remain whenever he was out of the House.
He said there would be some things he disagreed with National on, but he still had a general commitment to vote with the party. He did not rule out voting against it in an extreme case, however.
‘‘There will be some issues that I feel very uncomfortable with the National Party position, but as those issues come up, I will consider them on a case-by-case basis.
‘‘I can be a voice, I can be an advocate, but how I vote in Parliament will remain for now with the National Party.’’
He said he planned to use his speeches – including one in response to the prime minister’s statement – to raise issues important to his electorate of Botany, such as housing affordability and transport.
He also wanted to speak out about mental health services after his experience with them. He said the people on the front lines were ‘‘wonderful’’ but the last National Government had its ‘‘heads in the sand’’ on the issue and more funding was needed.
‘‘I think the Government is doing the right thing with that [inquiry] that we should have done as a National-led Government.’’
Ross said he intended to continue serving on the Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee.
He said several National MPs still talked to him. He was not planning on contacting any of the women who had accused him of bad behaviour, including National MP Sarah Dowie, who he had an extramarital affair with. Four women spoke to Newsroom about Ross’s behaviour with them anonymously, two accusing him of ‘‘toxic sexual affairs’’ and the others of bullying and harassment.