Diner disputes Gilmore’s version of events
MP AARON Gilmore threatened to get Prime Minister John Key to have a waiter sacked after the MP was refused more wine, a witness says.
Christchurch lawyer Andrew Riches, who witnessed Mr Gilmore’s outburst at a waiter on Saturday night, says the National list MP told the man he would get the prime minister’s office involved.
Mr Riches confirmed yesterday that Mr Gilmore made a comment to the Heritage Hanmer Springs hotel waiter along the lines of: ‘‘Do you know who I am? I’m an important politician.’’
‘‘He threatened to have the prime minister’s office intervene and end the waiter’s employment,’’ Riches said.
Yesterday, Mr Gilmore nied the new claims.
Mr Key’s office has spoken to Mr Gilmore over the allegations.
A statement from the prime minister’s office last night said Mr Key had accepted Mr Gilmore’s apology for his behaviour and expected the backbencher had ‘‘learnt a lesson from the whole thing’’.
‘‘Any suggestion that a member of Parliament has sought to use the influence of the prime minister’s office inappropriately is a serious matter.
Mr
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‘‘Mr Gilmore indicated that he did not believe that he used the words claimed.’’
If a complaint was received from the hotel, it would be ‘‘thoroughly investigated’’.
Mr Key’s statement came after Mr Riches, who dined with Mr Gilmore that night, gave a full account of the incident after feeling ‘‘unfairly tarnished’’ by Mr Gilmore’s ‘‘half-hearted’’ apology.
Mr Gilmore tweeted an apology for ‘‘any offence that may have been taken from the behaviour of my group’’.
This was followed by a formal statement which read, ‘‘As a group of diners our behaviour was at times boisterous, and I sincerely apologise for any offence this may have caused’’.
Mr Key said the incident was ‘‘a bit disappointing’’.
‘‘He [Mr Gilmore] was clearly involved in a group that was involved in some slightly unruly behaviour.’’
Mr Riches, who left the waiter an apology note after the incident, said he had been happy to let the matter lie.
However, after Mr Gilmore’s attempt to ‘‘shift responsibility’’, he felt compelled to ‘‘have the facts set out in full’’.
‘‘He [Mr Gilmore] threatened to have the prime minister’s office intervene and end the waiter’s employment. His business card was presented to verify his identity. This was extremely embarrassing [as] our service that night had been outstanding.
‘‘I was left to explain to the staff member that the powers of a backbench list MP are rather limited, do not extend to the firing of restaurant staff and that his job was safe,’’ Mr Riches said.
‘‘[Now] I’ve got the prime calling me a pisshead.’’
Mr Gilmore, who returned to Parliament in February after Lockwood Smith resigned, did not return calls yesterday.
Heritage national sales and marketing manager Tony Howlett said he would not be making a formal complaint to National. The Hanmer hotel declined to comment.
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