PM hints apology will be enough to get 'bright guy' Gilmore off the hook

Prime Minister John Key has dropped strong hints that Aaron Gilmore will be off the hook if he fronts up to his party caucus and media tomorrow, and acts contrite.

“There’s a limit to what we can do,” Mr Key said on Breakfast this morning.

“People say ‘Get him out of Parliament,’ [but] you actually can’t get anyone out of Parliament easily as Winston Peters has found out with Brendan Horan. You could throw him out of caucus, but that doesn’t throw him out of Parliament.”

The inability of any party to expel a list MP from Parliament, and National’s one-seat majority, means the Christchurch MP is likely safe.

Mr Gilmore has apologised for his behaviour in general terms, but has yet to say if the account of his behaviour given by a fellow guest at his table, lawyer Andrew Riches, is correct. The list MP is alleged to have threatened to use his political power to have a waiter fired after he was refused another drink, then lied about the incident when questioned by the Prime Minister's chief-of-staff.

The Prime Minister has said National won't launch an inquiry unless the Hamner Springs restaurant or waiter in question lay a formal complaint. So far, they have not.

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In a sharp critique of Mr Gilmore’s behaviour over the weekend, commentator Matthew Hooton said he hoped that, behind the scenes, Mr Key was encouraging the list MP to resign.

But publicly, the Prime Minister is playing down expectations Mr Gilmore will leave the house.

The PM indicated he will be in for a roasting from caucus tomorrow, and that the Christchurch MP would not dodge journalists.

“I’m sure his caucus colleagues will have a very clear way of communicating to Mr Gilmore what they think of his behaviour – whatever the reported version is. He’ll have to front up tomorrow; he’ll have to front up to the media tomorrow. My expectations are he will be there,” Mr Key said.

“In the end, whatever the version of events, he’s behaved badly. I think he’s had some time to reflect on that and probably realise the seriousness of what he’s done and I suspect he will be very contrite tomorrow. That would be the way I would expect it to go.

“You earn your respect as a member of Parliament, you don’t get respect because you’re here.

“And behaviour like that, whatever the version, doesn’t deserve respect.”

Demoted in 2011
Perhaps ominously for the MP’s future, Mr Key noted that Mr Gilmore was demoted in 2011.

Mr Gilmore came into Parliament at number 56 on National’s list in 2008.

“He was lowly ranked after the 2011 election [at number 59],” the Prime Minister said this morning. The position was not enough to get him into Parliament on the 2011 election night result, but he was soon back in the house, called on as first-drop after speaker Lockwood Smith departed for London.

“He’s practically 59^th of 59 MPs with no portfolio responsibility.

"Again, you can’t alter that list once someone’s on the list. They are there and that’s the way that works. You could throw him out of caucus, but that doesn’t throw him out of Parliament. It’s the Bendan Horan situation.”

National will be able to cull Mr Gilmore from its list when it redraws it afresh for the 2014 election.

"Bright guy"
In a glimmer of hope for the Christchurch MP – or in a nod to the power of being on a party list under MMP between elections – Mr Key finished with positive words about Mr Gilmore.

“I’m sure he’s got a contribution to make, underneath it all he’s a bright guy,” the Prime Minister said.