A special meeting of senior Labour MPs tomorrow will discuss the resignation of MP Darren Hughes amid sexual allegations and the handling of the affair by Phil Goff, whose leadership has come under increasing scrutiny.
A special meeting of senior Labour MPs tomorrow will discuss the resignation of MP Darren Hughes amid sexual allegations and the handling of the affair by Phil Goff, whose leadership has come under increasing scrutiny.
The meeting in Dunedin was planned weeks ago, but will be an opportunity to discuss the scandal which became public last week.
Mr Goff was expected to report on his handling of the Hughes affair to the front bench MPs.
The Labour Party leader announced on Friday that Mr Hughes would resign from Parliament while police continued their investigation into a late-night incident involving an 18-year-old male student.
A day earlier, Mr Goff stripped the third-term MP of his responsibilities as education spokesman and party whip after the allegations were made public on Wednesday.
Eight months away from the general election, Mr Goff has been forced to defend his leadership, and said his caucus backs him.
Mr Goff learned of the allegations two weeks ago, and has stood by his decision not to inform Labour president Andrew Little or act earlier.
"This is a caucus matter and I'm leader and I've dealt with it," he told TVNZ's Q and A programme yesterday.
"It's a matter of justice first and foremost. Justice ahead of politics actually, if you really want to know what influenced my decision."
Mr Goff said it was not up to him to decide whether the allegations had substance, saying that was for police to determine.
"I needed to be fair to the complainant, to the person against whom the complaint was laid and to let police get on and do their job. This is not about politics."
Mr Hughes said on Friday that he had done nothing wrong and was confident of the "right outcome" following the police investigation. However, his position had become untenable and he had to resign as an MP.
Former MP Judith Tizard is next on the party list.
Rotorua MP Steve Chadwick is acting whip while David Shearer has taken on the role of education spokesman.
The alleged incident that led to Mr Hughes' resignation happened at Labour deputy leader Annette King's Wellington home, where he boards, after he had been drinking at two bars with a group of students, including the complainant.
The student left the home and is reported to have either flagged down a police car or walked into its path.
